District Highways Council Meets At Whangarei

Northern Advocate, 27 June 1946, Page 2

District Highways Council Meets At Whangarei

A comparisen of expenditure by the Main Highways Board in 1939 and in 1945 was made at the annual meeting of the No. 1 District Highways Council at Whangarei today. The District Engineer of the Public Works Department (Mr L. May) presided.

The motorists’ representative (Mr M. H. Wynyard. of Auckland) told the council that in 1939 £.5,000.000 was spent on main highways, while last year the expenditure was only £2.000,000.

Alter providing for standing charges which involved a substantial amount, £140.000 was spent on maintenance, and £300.000 on constructional work raid renewals.

The board's revenue had increased last year by £300,000, anc! a further increase could be expected this year, said Mr Wynyard.

Restricted finance and manpower had hampered operations last year, and the board had devoted the funds available to maintenance and limited bridge extension work.

Even if additional finance had boon available, little further could have been accomplished, due to shortages of labour and material.

| Works which had been prepared I prior to the war and had keen held up j due to the outbreak of hostilities were | now receiving the board's consideraj tion. ! EXTENSION CONTEMPLATED | An extension of the present highJ ways system was being contemplated j by the board and the Minister, but adI dilional finance wculd be needed, j In declaring a limited amount of new i highway, the board would consider the amount of heavy traffic using the roads [ concerned. i In conjunction with this endeavours I would be made to assist those local [ bodies which were in financial diffi- , culties, and where heavy traffic from t outside the counties concerned was I causing deterioration of roads, j The question of increased mileage of ! state highways was being considered, j Caunties submitted applications for I declarations of main highways, total- < ling 104 miles, representing a 16 per cent increase on the present total mileage. On the motion of Mr J. Morrison (Whangarei) it was decided to group the first priority applications of each county. [ WEST COAST HIGHWAY I A recommendation moved by Mr F. (W. Wordsworth (Hobson) recommend-

ing that the main highway on the west coast between Dargaville and Rawene, through the Waipoua Forest and connecting with the No 1 State Highway, be declared a state highway, drew considerable comment. .Speakers drew attention to the vast amount of primary produce obtained each year from Northland. They considered that the general state of roading in the province in relation to its productivity, justifie'd greater expenditure on highways. Mr Wynyard pointed out that since the Main Highways Board was formed in 1923, substantial sums had been allocated for the development of northern roads, which were in a backward state at that time. Considerable progress had been made in establishing better highways throughout Northland, which was difficult country to road.

The amount allocated for this purpose during the ensuing year was greater than that for any other district.

Mr Wordsworth's resolution, which was seconded by Mr A. C. Yarborough (Hokianga) was carried. WHANGAREI-ONERAHI ROAD

Representing the Whangarei County Council, Mr Morrison moved that the Whangarei-Onerahi main highway be taken over by the board for reconstruction purposes. He pointed out that the growing importance of Onerahi as a suburb of Whangarei. together with the greatly increased volume of tourist traffic, has resulted in deterioration of the road. The total cost, estimated at £37.000 was beyond the means of his council. The resolution was carried.

Cn the motion of Mr Yarborough the council resolved to recommend to the Main Highways Board that a programme for reconstruction and sealing the No 1 State Highway from Auckland to Awanui, be formulated.

The council supported a recommendation that the Awanui-Pakaraka main highway be declared a state highway.