WAIKOUAITI COUNTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21580, 27 February 1932, Page 17

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting of the Waikouaiti County Council was held yesterday, and was attended by Crs J. Preston (chairman), E. Laley, P. Briscoe, C. T. M'Callum, G. Gilmore, and H. W. Box, CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was received from the representative of the Highways Board, No. 16 District Highways Council (Mr T. M. Ball), inquiring if any portion of the balances of the authorities for the Dun-edin-Waitati, via Leith Valley, and the Evansdale-Merton, via Seacliff, main highways, for the current year might be cancelled. —Received. —Mr Ball to Be informed that the council does not wish any authorities cancelled. A letter was received from the secretary of the Otago Power Board forwarding a request from the residents of Karitane to have street lighting reinstalled in the township. The writer pointed out that he had suggested the institution of a rate over a special area to cover the cost of the lighting, and asked the council to do what it could to have the service reinstated. —Received. A letter was received from Mr 1. Hughes, complaining of wandering cattle at Karitane.—Received, the writer to be informed that the inspector would be instructed to take action provided be would identify the cattle. Mr J. Wilkinson (Waitati) wrote drawing attention to the state of a water channel near his property, and complained that in wet weather overflow water from it was running on to his property.—The matter was left in the hands of the inspector to attend to. A letter was received from Messrs W. and J. Rochfort (Evansdale) asking that a drain pipe should be laid under the main road at Evansdale, to take drainage that had accumulated near their property. —The inspector was instructed to attend to the matter. GENERAL. An application from Mr G. Henry for permission to erect a temporary shed on the roadline at Purakamli was granted, subject to the usual conditions. In accordance with a request from the clerk of the Waitaki County Council, the council confirmed the appointment of Mr P. M'Langhton as heavy traffic inspector for the district. . , , ~ An application was received from the secretary of the Waitati Sports Association for permission to hold a cycle road race between Evansdale and Waitati on March 26—The chairman pointed out that the council had no jurisdiction in the matter, and it was decided to refer the applicant to the District Highways Council INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The inspector (Mr T, Lang) reported as follows on the work done in the various ridings during the month:— Hawksbnry Riding.— Ihe contract for metalling 25 chains of Nenthorn road w nearly completed, but a few yards ot metal are required to repair the road on Ziz-zag Hill. The blinding of the recentlymetalled road to Stony Peak is nearly finished. A damaged culvert on Quarry road; above the quarry, will have to be renewed with 12in pipes. Mill road, M'Callum’s road, and portions of I'lag Swamp and Hawksbnry Bush roads have been graded. Quarry road and the clay road from Mount Derdon to Flag Swamp also require grading. Some repairs have been made to the road between Mount Watkins and Eldorado. Merton Riding—About 50 yards of metal have been broken and spread on Mackay’s road. The widening of Kilgonr street at Seacliff, and the formation of the footpath are nearly completed, and Bank road and portion of Bay road at Warrington have been widened. Surfacing work has been done on Allan’s and Por* teons’s roads, and on the road near Dip Creek. At Karitane, the building of the protective wall, and the formation of the footpath are nearly completed. Blueskin Riding.—Considerable damage was done by the recent floods in this riding. The piles at one end of the footbridge in the township over the Waitati River were washed out. and the bridge collapsed, but T think it will be possible to raise the bridge again and erect a new abutment. The metal on Donald Hi 1 was badly scoured, and a number of small slips came down on Waitati-Port Chalmers road, but most of them have been cleared. The blinding of the metal on Purakanui road is nearly finished, and a commencement will*be made immediately on repairing the protective wall at the head of Purakanui Bay. The _ metal has been raked in a'nd the road blinded with rotten rock, and water tables cleaned out over a mile and a-half of Hayward Point road. This road and Purakanui, and a portion of Port Chalmers-Waitati roads require at least 1000 yards of maintenance metal, which could probably be got at several places near the road and crushed on the spot. ■ Hill’s road has been surfaced. and the widening of Leydon’g road is nearly completed. North-East Valley Riding.—The principal work done during the month has been in widening the upper end of Hall road, and in cleaning out the creeks near this road and Reservoir road. A portion of Holmes’s Bush road, near Mount Cargill. has been re-formed. Some further repairs to Pine Hill road will have to be done before the winter. MAIN HIGHWAYS. Evansdale-Merton (via Seacliff) Highway.—This highway was graded during the month, metal which had worked off the road has been put back on the road, a small slip cleared, and water tables cleaned out. '

Duncdin-Waitati (via Leith Valley) Highway.—The floods on the Waitati River last week caused a fair amount of damage to this highway. The side of the road slipped into the river for a distance of three_ chains, but not enough to stop the traffic on the road, but it will have to be secured by stone walling. The wall at the upper ford is also damaged through the river undermining a portion of it. The road is also closed below Ferguson’s Creek bridge through a small portion of the road subsiding. Several slips came down on the road, but they have been cleared enough to allow the traffic to pass, and the fords are now being made passable. One culvert has collapsed and two other culverts want renewing, all with 12in pipes. I estimate the cost of repairing the damage at £260. Metal has been raked in on several portions of the road. The report was adopted. FINANCE. Accounts amounting to £1034 0s Id were passed for payment.