TE KUITI'S GROWTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22400, 22 April 1936, Page 18

TE KUITI'S GROWTH

£26,200 LOAN PROPOSAL WATERWORKS AND STREETS PERMISSION TO BE SOUGHT [by TELEGBAPH —OWN corbespondent] TE KUITI, Tuesday The Te Kuiti Borough Council last night decided to seek permission to raise loans totalling £26,200 for improvements to waterworks and sealing of streets. The engineer estimated the cost of the waterworks project at £21,200 and the street scheme, involving the sealing of three and a-half miles, at £SOOO. Application is to be made to the Labour Department for a subsidy on the labour costs. The decision was made on the recommendation of a special committee, which consisted of the Mayor, Mr. T. Carroll, and Messrs. E. Mackersey, K. Low, H. Douglas and A. Dobson. The committee considered waterworks, roading, swimming baths and town hall proposals. It had no recommendation to make in regard ..to swimming baths and the council took no action in this matter. It recommended tho council to defer consideration of the building of a town hall, which course the council followed. Reticulation of Borough Under tho waterworks scheme £7OOO is to be spent on the reticulation of the borough, with 4in. pipes, and in connecting up circuits. The reconditioning of the' existing Sin. reservoir main by cement lining and external treatment is estimated to cost £6OOO. The construction of a pressure stabilisation and servico reservoir, to hold two days' supply, w'bich would aid the supply to higher levels and prevent water failure, will cost about £3OOO. Provision is also made for renewal of the Sin. main in the main street, at £I3OO, and reconditioning of tho 6in. main in the Awakino Road, Princes Street, Hill Street area, at £1750. Tho engineer suggested either booster pumps or prospecting for water, so as to impound and deliver the required quantity as a means of serving the high levels, and £950 was allocated for this purpose.

The streets loan will be utilised in sealing the three and a-half miles of streets within the borough, those suggested being George Street, Taupiri Street, Carroll Street. Tbe Esplanade, Tawa Street and Lawrenco Street and Te Kuiti Road. The cost of the present maintenance is approximately £290 a year. With £3OO for sinking fund and £l5O for maintenance the annual cost after sealing would be £l5O. Suggestion by Mayor When the waterworks proposals were considered by the council last night the Mayor suggested that £13,000^ only should be raised, to extend the reticulation and recondition tho main from the reservoir. •He said ho belie\ ed the whole of the work was necessary, but he was doubtful, if the ratepayers would sanction the large loan. Other members of the council, however, agreed that if only half the work was tackled the other portions would cause trouble soon.» . . The engineer said the reconditioning and straightening of the reservoir main would raise the pressure and tend to cause breakages in the weak points of the existing system. . Mr. Low moved that notice be given that the council proposed at its next meeting to apply to the Loans Board for permission to raise £21,200, repayable over 30 years, the interest not to exceed 3} per cent, for the waterworks scheme, and £SOOO, over 20 years at the same interest rate, for the streets scheme. The motion was carried unanimously. . , , The town hall project was deferred pending receipt of a definite reply, as to the future of the old saleyards site.