WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21994, 1 July 1933, Page 3

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Waikouaiti County Council was held yesterday, and was attended by Messrs E. Laley (chairman). P. Briscoe, H. Box, G. Gilmore, A. Douglass, and C. T. M’Callum. CORRESPONDENCE. The secretary of the Otago Hospital Board wrote notifying that the board’s levy on the council for the current year would he £I6OO 3s 2d.—Received. A letter was received from the district engineer of railways pointing out that the council was responsible for the maintenance of the footbridge adjacent to the railway line near Waitati, and advising that the estimated cost of the repairs now being carried out was £42 5s. —The , inspector was instructed to ascertain what material would be required for the repairs, and it was decided-to inform the Railways Department that the council would do the work itself.

An application by the Peninsula Bus Company for permission for one of its buses conveying footballers to pass over the Warrington-Seacliff road was held over in the meantime, and it was decided that the company be asked to supply details of the weight and load of the bus. A letter was received from Mr C. Buchan, asking the council to make an offer for the purchase of his private road at Mount Royal.—lt was decided to reply that the council was not prepared to make an offer, but that the matter would be referred to the ratepayers interested. A letter was received from the Commissioner of Unemployment, who advised that after the winter programme of the State Forestry Department; had been provided for, a surplus of young trees would be available, and would be offered to local bodies on payment of lifting, packing, and freight charges only. The Unemployment Board was desirable that where possible, local bodies having suitable areas, should avail themselves of this offer, and prepare a programme for the utilisation of unemployed labour in preparing the ground and planting the trees. —It was decided to authorise the inspector to order such trees as he might require. RATES STRUCK. The following rates were struck for the year ending on March 31, 1934; Hawksbnry Riding, Id in the £; Merton Riding, IJd in the f; North-East Valley Riding, l|d in the £; Blueskin Riding, Ijd in the £. INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The inspector (Mr T. Lang) reported as follows on the work carried out in the various ridings during the month: — Hawksbnry Riding.—Forty-five yards of Shag River gravel have been put on Taieri Peak road, and ditches cleaned out on the road. Sixty-nine yards of f ravel have also been spread on Hosie’s. 'lag Swamp, and Payne’s roads. The running planks have been put on the lower bridge-on Flag Swamp road and the handrails on Dempster’s bridge have been repaired. Gorse and broom have been cleaied from the reserve on the road to Mount Derdon, the half of which was recently planted with trees. Gorse is now being cleared off the reserve at the bottom of Mount Watkins road. The road through the three fords at Flag Swamp has been improved and surfacing work has been done on Quarry road, Mount Watkins, and several other roads.

Merton Riding.—The road in Seacliff township has been formed and metalled, and the hollow near the railway crossing filled with clay taken from a cutting on the main, road, to form a footpath across the railway past the church. The new metal on Allan’s road has all been raked in and blinded, water tables cleaned out, and a narrow part of the road widened. Five chains of the retaining wall at Karitane have been built, but it is a difficult job, as the foundation is a great depth. The formation of 14 chains of Stornoway street is now completed, and the formation of a portion or Grimness street will now be gone on with. Over 200 yards of stone have been quarried and spalled for metalling Apes's road. A large culvert on the road between Puketeraki and Merton station will have to be lifted and rebuilt, and the road might have to be closed for a day or two.

Blueskin Riding.—Metal has been raked in and water tables cleaned out on the lower end of Double Hill road. Metal has also been*broken on Waitati-Kawa-rika road for the .recently widened portions of the road, and potholes have been filled on the road near the bridge. The metal on Havwnrd’s Point road lias been raked and blinded, and similar work is now being done on Purakanui road. Surfacing work has been done on’ several roads at Purakanui, and the formation of Crescent street is being done by relief workers.

North-East Valley Riding.—One hundred and three yards of metal have been spread on Reservoir and Hall roads at Sawyers' Bay, and the footpath on the upper end of Hall road has been covered with ashes. The footpath on. Hugh street have been surfaced, and will also receive a coat of ashes when they can be procured. Repairs have been made to several roads in this district, and repairs are now being made to Pigeon Flat road.

MAIN HIGHWAYS. Evansdale-Merton (via Seacliff) Highway.—The usual grading has been done during the month, and potholes scarified. Water tables have. been cleaned out between Warrington and Omimi, and subsidences at ine side of the road filled up. The road at the lower side of the railway crossing will have to be raised, as the grader blade has very little clearance owing to the abrupt fall from the railway line. Dunedin-Waitati (via Leith Valley) Highway.—The new bridge over Williams’s Creek is now being used for traffic, and a temporary span has been built to the road on the Waitati side until the wing wall is finished and the approach formed. The approach on the other end has been filled in and a retaining wall built. The contract will probably be finished next week. There are several subsidences on the road which require attention, but as the men have been engaged elsewhere very little has been done to the road lately. The report was adopted. FINANCE. Accounts amounting to £1276 6s 5d were passed for payment.