WAIKOUAITI COUNTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22742, 30 November 1935, Page 25

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting of the Waikouaiti County Council was held yesterday, when there were present: Crs C; T. M'Callum (in the chair), H. Box, E. Laley, W. Lee, H. G. Gilmore and D. M'Millan. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr T. M. Ball, district engineer, Public Works Department, wrote asking the council to consent to the closing of portion of the roads adjoining sections 9a, 10 and 11, block XII, Waikouaiti township. —Granted. The director-general, Department of Agriculture, advised that the Government had decided to grant 2s Od per beak for kea beaks as from December I, and asked if the council was prepared to purchase them on behalf of the department.—Received. Mr G. B. Coxitts, jun., Clifton, wrote asking the council to repair and form the road to his run at Stoneburn. —The work was left in the hands of the inspector to carry out. The Rev. Father Monaghan, Port Chalmers, wrote stating that he was building a church at Seacliff, and found that the footpath was very ranch above the roadline and site. He asked that the council should attend to the matter.— It was decided to reply that the council could not contribute to the cost, but that the applicant might have the footpath lowered himself, subject to the approval of the engineer. Mr H. E. Godfrey, Upper Waitati, wrote complaining of the dangerous state of the Pigeon Flat road and asked the council to spread metal on it where required and clear overhanging bush. —The matter was left in the hands of the inspector to attend to the essential requirements. Messrs Arkle and Rolfe, solicitors, of Palmerston, advised that they had amended the agreement as to the improvements on the property, known as Steep Hill Reserve, leased to Mr E. H. Scott, and asked that the leasee and the council give their approval.—lt was decided to deal with the matter as suggested. The Love Construction Company asked permission to lay a pipeline across the road at the old store at Seacliff. — Granted. Mrs F. E. Lang, Caversham, wrote agreeing to contribute £2 towards the cost of improving the road to her property at Waitati. —Accepted. The secretary of the Automobile Association (Otago) wrote, suggesting that 72 chains of road at Purakanui, which had been metalled, should now be surfaced.—Received. The secretary of the Aramoana Progress League wrote asking the council to improve the road to the Aramoana settlement before the Christmas holidays.— Received. Mr M. O. Henderson, city electrical engineer, wrote asking the council to fix the line on which the poles were to be erected on the eastern side of the Purakanui road.—lt was decided to Instruct the inspector to define the line to the engineer. Mr T. M. Ball, Main Highways Board’s representative, wrote stating that it was proposed to tar-seal the MertonPalmerston section of the DunedinChristchurch main highway on condition that the council paid £69 per mile per annum towards the cost of reconstruction - and maintenance. —After some discussion it was decided to reply that the council was not prepared to find any further, amount towards the cost of reconstruction and maintenance of this road as it was of the opinion that it was already paying too large a sum of the ratepayers’ money. RANGER’S REPORT. The report of the ranger (Mr M. Taiaroa), stating that he had found eight head of cattle wandering on county roads was adopted. TRAFFIC INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The group traffic inspector (Mr P. Laughton) reported as follows:—The regular inspection has been carried out in Waitaki, Waihemo, and Waikouaiti counties. The drivers of a heavy motor vehicle and a private car were warned for speeding. During the period the owners of three vehicles procured heaw traffic licences, the vehicles being used only for a short period of the year to transport horses to shows. —The report was adopted. FINANCE. Accounts amounting to £782 11s Id were passed for payment. OPEN CROSSING. The Mayor of Waikouaiti (Mr Andrew Fell) waited on the council for the purpose of coming, to an agreement with regard to an open crossing on the Waikouaiti-Nenthorn road in the vicinity of the dam which was the source of the borough water supply. The Borough Council, he said, had built another dam further up the creek, and it would now be necessary to raise the surface of the road at the crossing slightly to prevent the water flowing over it. The Borough Council was prepared to undertake to leave the crossing in the same state as previously after it had been raised. — After discussion, it was decided that the Borough Council should pay £lO and the County Council wquld carry out the work of putting in culverts to eliminate the open crossing altogether. INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The county inspector (Mr T. Lang) reported as follows on the work done during the past month: — Hawksbury Riding.—Eighteen chains of Wilson’s road have been gravelled and 220 yards of maintenance gravel have been spread on' Flag Swamp, Payne’s and Galbraith’s roads. Surfacing work has been done on the River Hill, and Mount Derdon road, and the gorse cleared from the reserve at the junction ol Mount Watkins road.

Merton Riding.—Ditches have been cleaned out on Pullar’s road and the' metal raked in and blinded. Porteous’s load has been surfaced, and the most of the formation work on Allan’s road has been done and the worst part of the road metalled. A pipe culvert was put across the road near the creek. The formation of 15 chains of Grimness street at Karitane is nearly completed, and water tables have oeen cleaned out on the main’ road. The contractor bus commenced the quarrying of the stone fo- Waikouaiti to Nenthorn road, and the road is now being widened where necessary, and some sharp corners cut off. The water on the crossing on this road in the Waikouaiti Borough reserve has been raised through a dam recently built on the creek below the crossing, and some provision will have to lie made for the traffic on the road.

Blueskin Riding.—Water tables have been cleaned out on Double Hill road, and a portion of the road surfaced A ramp of stone and clay has been built on the river bank behind the groyne recently built below the footbridge at Waitati. The timber for the small traffic bridge and for the footbridge has arrived, and the work will be done next week. Slips have been cleared from the Lower Harbour road at Pulling Point and used in filling behind the walls. Stone has been broken in the quarry and carted to the east side of Taylor’s Point to stop the erosion at this place. North-East Valley Riding.—Ashes have been spread on several footpaths at Sawyers’ Bay, and a soft part of the footpath on Mill road has been metalled. The metal on Hall and Reservoir roads has been raked in and blinded. Two culverts on Pigeon Flat road have been renewed with nine-inch pipes and a portion of the road widened. There are some bad ruts and potholes on this road, but the worst of them can be metalled with stone at the side of the road.

MAIN HIGHWAYS. Evansdale - Merton Highway.—This road was graded at the beginning of the month, and is now being graded again. The road will require about 400 yards of screenings after the holidays. Dunedin-Waitati (via Leith Valley) Highway.—Five chains of the narrowest part of the road above Mitchell’s Crossing has been widened, and will be pitched with stone from the river and gravelled. A slip has been cleared from the road near Burns’s Creek, and stone removed from the lower ford. The road will probably be graded next week. The report was adopted.