WAIMEA COUNTY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 May 1939, Page 2

WAIMEA COUNTY

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL WORK IN THE RIDINGS APPLICATION FOR BATTS’ FORD BRIDGE GRANT The monthly meeting of the Waimea County Council, held to-day, was attended by Councillors J. Corder (chairman), R. Teece, H. Everett, L. A. Higgins, E. H. Jones. J. Murcott, G. Manson, J. Pugh, and W. Martin. Accounts amounting to £2421 i7s lOd were passed for payment. It was decided, on the motion of Councillor Murcott. that application be made for a grant to be placed on the Public Works Ectimates for a bridge over the Dove river at Batt’s ford on the Thorpe-Neudorf road. TENDER ACCEPTED The tender of Mr A. C. Maisey was accepted for ploughing the fire breaks on Rabbit Island. It was resolved that the Engineer put a truck on for one week to cart gravel from the river at Appleby where a scoop is at present working on banking work near Mr J. Pugh’s property. ENGINEER’S REPORT The report of the County Engineer (Mr W. Bullivant) was as follows:

Wangamoa Riding.—Repairs and gravelling has been done on Iwa road. An unemployment relief gang is engaged on the Maitai valley road.

Stoke Riding—Grading and general maintenance work has been carried out.

Appleby Riding—Timber has been delivered for renewing Carthew’s bridge, Aniseed Valley road. Repairs have been carried out on Minor river track. A small bridge at the junction of Stewart’s road and the State highway has been renewed. The tender of Messrs W. A. Kenning, Ltd., for £270 for the diversion cut and bank in the Wairoa river adjacent to Mr Pugh’s property was accepted, and the work is in hand.

Wai-iti Riding—Work on Fowler’s creek bridge is proceeding satisfactory. Gravelling has been done on the River Terrace, Wairoa Gorge and Wakefield road. Unemployed are engaged on the Wairoa Gorge and Pig Valley roads. Motupiko Riding—A culvert has been installed at the splash near Horton’s gate on the Belgrove-Gordon creek road. A small bridge on Hinetai road has been renewed.

Wangapeka Riding—The gravelling contract on the Tapawera-Tadmor road

was in hand. Further gravelling had been authorised on the Glen Rae and Tapawera-Baton roads. The construction of Rees creek bridge was nearing completion. Stringers and decking had been renewed on a small bridge near Moffatt’s on the Tapawera-Tadmor road. Grading had been done on the Tadmor-Kaka road, and the Sherry and j Matariki roads were now being graded. Dovedale Riding.—Holt’s creek culvert on the Wakefield-Woodstock main highway has been completed. Work on the Rosedale creek culvert is proceeding satisfactorily. Minor repairs to the Baton bridge were being carried out. Decking has been ordered for the Dove river bridge. Win’s Valley. A survey has been made on that section of the Thorpe-Ngatimoti road between Ngatimoti and the Orinoco packing shed, the widening of which was the subject of a petition received at the last meeting. The narrow road with poor visibility on the corners is about eight chains in length, and if the council wish to have the work done provision should be made for it on the estimates. The corner of Gardner’s :'oad at its junction with the Motueka-Xohatu main highway has been cut back and benched. The installation of a concrete slab top to a culvert near Kenyon’s, on the Wakefield-Woodstock main highway is in hand. During the month it was necessary to close the Clarke road for a short period to enable the renewal of of a small bridge which was in a dangerous condition.

Motueka Riding—Tenders will be invited for the Rocky river bridge during the coming month. A number of unemployed are engaged in Riwaka. It is intended to put in hand the clearing of the Riwaka river south branth track as soon as possible. Repairs have been carried out on the Riwaka river road and Sandy Bay road, and on the Sandy Bay footways and bridges. Expenditure on the Canaan road gravelling grant has been stopped—a great deal of the settlers’ free labour has yet to be carried out.

Moutere Riding.—Repair work has been carried out on the Wills road fordway. Grading has been done on roads in the Neudorf-Rosedale district, and a start has been made with gravelling. Patch gravelling has been done on byroads in Tasman. Wilson’s road has been inspected in connection with an exemption from section 128 of the Public Roads Act. The report was adopted.

DEPUTATION FROM MOTUEKA HARBOUR BOARD

A deputation from the Motueka Harbour Board, comprising Messrs C. H. McKay and P. B. Calder, waited on the council with a request for the release of a competent foreman from the county staff to carry on the renewing of fthe breastwork work at Motueka wharf fo" three months during the contractor’s absence owing to ill-health.

Mr McKay explained that the continuation of the work was important as the engineers stated that the understructure of the wharf was unsafe. If the work was stopped now the Harbour Board would lose the advantage of the subsidised labour now available. The board suggested that it might be possible for the county to allow one of its foremen to carry the work on in the meantime.

Mr Calder pointed out that it was a ‘ticklish job” which had to have a : ipetent man in charge.

The chairman said that the Waimea Council would like to do all in its power to help a neighbouring local body, but it was a question of how much work it had in hand for the staff.

The council decided to consider some possible rearrangement of the staff if it was possible to help the board over its difficulty.