TAWA FLAT DEVIATION

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12538, 30 August 1926, Page 11

TAWA FLAT DEVIATION

SPEEDING UP URGED “WILL HAVE TO BUSTLE” LEVEL CROSSING DANGER A plea for the speedy construction of the Tawa Flat railway deviation was entered in the House on Saturday by Mr W. Field (Otaki), wlio also advanced an interesting suggestion in respect to dangerous railway crossings. He understood, he said, that the department had spent £3128 on a survey in connection with the deviation, and the railway statement conveyed the information that the plans were now ready, and that the department had acquired a metal pit in the Ngahauranga gorge from which to secure metal for construction. He was satisfied that the work was being pushed on as fast as possible, but he thought the department would have to bustle in order to have the work completed by the stipulated time—four years hence. Bound up with the same scheme was, of course, the new railway at Wellington, the new railway yards, and improvements generally at this end of a particularly congested line. The Thorndon sea wail was nearly completed, and the Wellington Harbour Board dredge was employed in filling in the area which it was proposed to reclaim. The people here, he reminded the Minister, were keeping a watchful eye on what was being done, and on their behalf ho entered a plea for the speedy progress of the work. OVER THE TOP In a reference to level crossings in the Otaki and Wellington districts, Mr Field said that in many cases overhead bridges were necessary to do away with what were now veritable death-traps. The difficulty had been to find tlie money for the work, however, as the Railway Department did not feel disposed to do so. The local bodies felt that the charge of the Railway Department for the construction of these overhead bridges was too high, and he suggested that the department should produce the plans and allow the local bodies to erect the bridges. In this way he felt the work could be done for half the cost. At Paekakai'iki and Porirua there were crossings at which many lives had been lost. Hutt road was held up as an example as the beat road in the Dominion, and Mr Field expressed the hope that the Government would see that all other highways throughout the country would be constructed on similar lines. A watchful eye would have to be kept on the road works in progress in different parts of the Dominion, for grave blunders had been 1 made in .Wellington and elsewhere, and he did not want to see a repetition. The ratepayers would not stand greater expenditure. SPOIL FROM TUNNEL Sir John Luke (Wellington North) had sommdring to Say upon the new railway, and asked the Minister for Public Works to expedite the Thorndon reclamation so that progress could be made with the new railway station and yards at Wellington. “I do not wish the Government to rush into any great expenditure if times are not satisfactory, 77 he said, “but we have the authority of the people for the driving of the tunnel through the hill so that the line can be taken through to Tawa Flat If the tunnel could be gone on* with almost straight away and some of the spoil—from this end at leakt—could be brought out to the Thorndon reclamation, this would facilitate the construction of the new yards and the erection of the' station. Sir John also asked the intention of the Government in respect to the Hutt extension scheme. JVas this intended to be the main line in future, so that they could cut out the ntew bridge at the head of the Hutt‘ Valley, and then continue the deviation at the head of the valley near Silverstream on the eastern side of the Hutt river ? They should look ahead for tho development 'of the whole district when proposing railway extensions.