OPOTIKI INTERESTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21949, 5 November 1934, Page 11

OPOTIKI INTERESTS

WAINUI ROAD UPKEEP BRIDGES IN COUNTY [by telegraph—own correspondent! OPOTIKI, Saturday A letter from Mr. A. McKenzie, on behalf of the Wainui and Waingara Settlers' Association, was received at a meeting of the Opotiki County Council, asking the council to take steps to have Wainui Itoad gazetted as a main highway. The letter stated that the distance by this road from Opotiki to Whakatane was nine miles less than by the present highway. The chairman said the road was now a secondary highway carrying the same subsidy as a' main highway, and there was considerable objection to an extension of the present number of main highways. The chief obstacle was that the council had not the money to spend on improvements that would be necessary.

The council decided to take no action in the matter, but that it would spend as much money on the road as possible. In response to requests from a deputation from the same association for metalling on the Wainui Road, the council decided to spend £2O, which would carry a subsidy of £6O„ The engineer pointed out that when the Waimana Gorge was blocked the Wainui Road was used.

The council authorised the engineer to get plans and specifications prepared for the proposed new Matakeriapu Bridge. The engineer reported on the state of the approaches to the new Tutaetoko low-level bridge, which have been scoured away twice since the bridge was built. He said that, in his opinion, it would be advisable to lengthen the bridge by two spans of 2oft. each and lilt the bridge 2ft. The estimate of the cost of the work was £IBO. The chairman stated this sum could not be spent without assistance from the Public Works Department. The chairman said that, with accounts for £l2ll to be passed for payment, the overdraft would stand at £7367, but the financial position was improving. The clerk said the rates had been coming in well.