Order Of Urgency Of Whangarei County Bridges To Be Prepared

Northern Advocate, 22 January 1944, Page 5

Order Of Urgency Of Whangarei County Bridges To Be Prepared

Witii a view to determining the relative order of urgency of bridges to be reviewed. the chairman and staff of the Whangarei County Council are to prepare proposals (including financial) covering' county as well as main highway bridges, for submission to the council’s next meeting. At the December meeting of the council a five year programme for the erection of 24 bridges on the main highways within the county was submitted by the Main Highways Board and was estimated to cost, (with approaches) £G7.IGO, of which the county’s share was £16,790. The first year’s programme covered the erection of seven bridges costing £27.300. the county’s share being' £6825. The bridges suggested by the board were Wairua River. Kiripaka, Hikurangi, Coutt's, Thorburn’s, Parakao Gully and Otarau. The council’s engineer was instructed to bring down a report on the matter. The engineer, in his report, endorsed the seven bridges mentioned by the highways board, with the exception of Coults’ bridge, and substituted the Purua hall bridge in its place. The engineer stated that there were many county bridges on an equally urgent basis, and a highway bridge programme should be co-ordinated with a county bridge programme to half the highway amount carrying the same rate of subsidy. He suggested that the following county bridges be considered in their order of urgency: Waipu Cove bridge, Nortii River, JUSOO: Opouteke bridge. £2750; Waiotu £1500; McKenzies. £1900; Lewis. £3000; Johnny Jack’s, £I2OO.

There were numerous other bridges of which the renewal or extensive reconditioning could not. be long delayed, stated the engineer. The acting county treasurer (Mr G. H. Lloyd), submitted a report on the financial aspect in which he said it was quite obvious that the programme could not be met out of revenue, and should the council decide on approaching the Main Highways’ Board lor a short-term loan to meet its share of the cost, an endeavour should be made to fix the present estimate as the council’s maximum contribution. The loan should be arranged in such a way that the council would not have to take it up until the programme was under way and the carrying of it through to completion was assured. Material and Manpower It did not appear from the council’s experience that supplies of material and manpower could be assured as yet. The Main Highway’s Board would, however, be in a better position in obtaining its requirements than the council would be. Mr Lloyd further suggested that the council should endeavour to arrange that its share of the cost did not exceed the present estimate, for the council already had a commitment of £7500 in respect of the Titoki bridge, spread over seven years from the date of completion. The ratepayers of the Mangakahia riding were still paying off a loan of £26,000 raised to construct and metal the highway on which this bridge was situated. In the very near future, stated Mr Lloyd, the council would have to face the cost of renewal of many county bridges, which in itself would require a great deal of mo'ney. Cr. G. O. Dysart thought the matter was so large that it should be deferred until next meeting. Tc- Bring Down Proposals Cr. A. Clarke moved that the chairman and staff bring down proposals covering county as well as main highways bridges, including recommendations for financing the scheme. He expressed the opinion that the council would have to get on with the .work as soon as possible. The chairman (Mr J. A. S. Mac Kay) did not think the matter of finance would be difficult, and he thought money could be obtained at £3/7/6 per cent. Cr. J. Morrison expressed the opinion that a patching-up policy was more costly than paying interest oil Joans for permanent structures. Other councillors supported the motion which was carried unanimously.

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