LINKING EAST AND WEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21989, 26 June 1933, Page 8

LINKING EAST AND WEST

HAAST PASS ROAD EARLY COMMENCEMENT URGED. At the quarterly meeting on Saturday night of delegates to the South Island Motor Union, Mr F. J. “ Williams submitted the following remit on behalf of the Otago Motor Club:— “ That this union approves of the work of forming the road over the Haast Pass immediately, as this route will form a necessary link between Otago and the West Coast; and that as the work will provide suitable employment for a large number of men with a minimum of outlay for material, the matter be taken up with the Unemployment Board with a, view to an early commencement of the work.”

In speaking to the remit, Mr Williams said that the undertaking was one which, in the minds of Otago motorists, was of the .utmost importance. The road, if constructed, would provide a wonderful motor route, and would open up country that had great possibilities as far as both timber and gold were concerned. Mr G. S. Kirby seconded the .motion, and said that‘the Haast Pass road deserved' the support of the union because it formed an important link in the tourist route around the South Island and would eventually open up a round trip of about 1000 miles, with scenery of varying interest, and running from Dunedin through Christchurch, Hokitika, Franz Josef, and Wanaka, and back to Dunedin. It .would be a connecting link between Otago and the West Coast,, and would be of advantage to Otago both from a tourist and a commercial point of view. There were, north of Christchurch, no fewer than six lines of communication between the East r and West Coasts, five by road and one by rail; but none at all south of Christchurch. Next to the Lewis Saddle the Haast was the lowest pass in the Southern Alps, and if the road were constructed Otago motorists would eventually be able to enjoy the beauties of the West Coast scenery by an all-weather route of much shorter distance. The Public Works Department had tecently resurveyed the route over the pass, and the officers of the department stated definitely that the formation of a road to the coast would present no great engineering difficulties. The pass route was only 1847 feet high and would not be snow-bound during the winter, as it would be only approximately half the height of the Crown Range road to Queenstown. The Unemployment Board was searching for suitable works on which to place a large body of men, particularly where the greater part of the outlay would be payment for wages with a minimum of expenditure on material, and as work on the Eglinton Valley road would shortly be stopped it was desirable that the men employed there should be found other suitable work, such as the Haast Pass road. . Mr H. C. Harley (Nelson) said that the Nelson Association could not support the remit, as it had had no definite details of the road. I ~ , , , Mr F. W. Freeman (Christchurch) said that the project had been discussed by progress leagues,* chambers of commerce, and other bodies in the South Island, and the majority of them had supported it. If the road became an accomplished fact it would join up with the Lewis Sad'dle road, which was now in the course of construction, and so complete a route that would encircle the South Island. As it would embrace some- of the finest scenery in the Dominion, the road was, he thought, a work of national importance.. The motion was then put to the meetin", and was carried unanimously.