OPENING THE BRIDGE.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXVI, Issue 3366, 12 March 1915, Page 4

OPENING THE BRIDGE.

A. SUCCESSFUL FUNCTION.

LARGE ATTENDANCE OF PUBLIC.

The Paeroa,-Netbei ton Bridge across the Waihou River at the Puke was. officially opened on Wednesday afternoon, when there was a Lit ne attendance of the public. Speeches were deliveredfrom a temporary platform on the bridge, and were heartily applauded bythe'large number of people present. Mr H. M. Corbett (chairnvin of the Ohinemun County Council) presided. In addition to the Minister those present included Mr H; Poland, to P., Mr H. Lowe (Mayor of Thames), Mr W. Norrell (Mayor oi Te. Aroha), Mr M. G.. Power (Mayor of Waihi), Mr R. W Bagnall (chairman Thames County Council), Mr H L>. Morpeth (clerk Waihi Borough Council), Messrs. A. C. Hubbard, P. Treanor, S. J. Laughlin, H J. Field, T. Morgan. If.-M. Strange (members ai the Ohmemun County Council), Mr McAhster (the Minister's private secretary), Mr E. W. Porritt (president ot the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce), Mr -F. Bi-g-Wither (dis tnct engineer Public Works Department), Mr W. H. Gavin (inspecting engtneer Public Works Department) Messrs W. McWatters, C. Franklin, W. Moore, and J. Nathan (ex members Ohinemun County Council), Mr R. W. Evans (clerk to the Ohinemuri County Council), Mr G. S. Gould (engineer to ihe Ohinemun County Council), Mr 'E Shaw (assistant engineer to the Ohine muri County Council), Mr A. H.Wilson (Manager Bank of New Zealand), Mr C. Kennedy and Mr W. Taylor tractors for erection ,ot brit'ge), Mr A. Law (member of Thames County Council), Senior Sergeant Wonlmann Apologies vfor absence were received from Mr P. Grace (ek-chairman Ohinemun County Council), Mr W. Potts (chairman Thames Harbour Board), Mr H. Jackson (deputy Mayor of Te Aroh.i), Messrs A.. Bowler and W. Hetherton (ex-members Ohinemun County Co.uncil), The Te Aroha Band (under Bandmaster Buch ri) was m attendance and rendered several selections dqnng the afternoon. •

the Minister and' party were received with loud and prolonged cheer ing on arrival at the bridge. . After the playing of the National Anthem by the band, Mr Corbett spoke oi the pleasure the yis-t ot the Minister' gave to the people, and extended to him a hearty welcome to the district. The bridge, said Mr Corbeit, would revolutionise the means of crossing the river, and if anything happened to it he hoped it would not tage ten weeks to re-erect it. He extended to the Minister and to the representatives, of the loc.l, bodies present a very hearty'welcome. The Hon. Fraser on rising to reply was very warmly received, He thanked them for their welcome arid assured them of the pleasure he had to be present to officially open the bridge. At one time he had been afraid he would not be able to be present, but he bad broken other engagements so as to come here and not disappoint them. The Minister then read the following statement regarding the bridge :^ Purpose.—The purpose of this bridge is to connect the important settled district of Netherton, and the Awaiti and Piako lahds—all on the left bank of the Waihou River, with Paeroa and the railway on the right bank. It is the nearest bridge to the Thames Estuary, which is 32 miles down stream, and it is n miles by road from the next bridge up stream (at Mahgajti). A bridge is under construction at Tirohja six miles by road above Netherton Bridge. Site.—The bridge replaces the old Netherton ferry, and crosses the Waihou River i£ miles north of Paeroa railway station. It was at one time intended that the bridge should cross the Waihou ] River nearer Paeroa, between Te Puke and the Junction, but it was changed to the Netherton ferry site in order to avoid the Ngararahi cut of the Waihou and Ohinemun River Improvement Works. Structure.— The bridge . is 210 feet long, and consists of one 15 foot, one 20-foot, and three 30-foot timber spans, with a steel swing span of 85 feet, pivoted "at centre on a reinforced concrete pier. The erection of considerable | dolphins, girder piles and tenders has also been necessary to protect the bridge and assist navigation. The swing span can be opened. or. closed in three minutes. The bridge was designed by Mr

C. Bray, late engineer to the Ohinemun County Council, the swing span being purchased from the Railway Department and brought from Te Aroha. History-—Prior to the construction of the bridge, the settlers on the left bank of the river, whose outlet to the railway was by road to Paeroa, had to transport their produce across the river by means of a punt at the Netherton ferry. This involved frequent delays, inconvenience and expense, and in 1907 the Ohinemun Counts Council approached the Government for a.subsidy to permit of the construction of a traffic bridge. There Was some misunderstanding regarding the cost of a suitable bridge, and during 1907 and 1908 petitions were sent by the seltleis of Nethertpn and the "surrounding districts to Parliament and to the Government, urging that adequate provision should be made for the constru'-tiotv of a substantial bridge and approaches. There was also the usu.il loc:il difference of opinion re garding the best site for the structure, which depended in some measure on the effects of nver improvement works recommended by the Waihou and Ohinemun Rivers Improvement Com : mission. In 10.io provision was made by the Government for a subsidy of £1 for £1 up to ,£ISOO on the, amount raised by the County , Council to defray the cost of a bridge withY, an opening span, designed by the County* engineer (Mr C. Bray) estimated to cost /3630 Minor alterations to the original design led .to some delay, and when finally approved in August, 1912, ,tt-was apparent that the bridge would be a more cosily structure than was anticipated. Tne settlers who were to derive the principal benefit from the bridge formed a special rating area and raised a loan of £2500 for the work, the Government assisting by increasing its subsidy to and in September, 1912, the County Council let a contract to Messrs Kennedy and Taylor for the construction of a bridge and approaches,, the contr r.t sum being Before the work had advanced very far', it became evident that the navigation of the river by the "larger steamers using the Puke Wtfart above the bridge would give trouble in bad weather, and .pending settlement of this difficulty construction work was practically suspended. The bridge,'however, has now been successfully completed, and the Governirtent is building a new whuf and shed just below the bridge, which will permit steamers to discharge cargo for Paeroa when necessary without passing through or under the bridge. A -contract for the whatf and shed has just been le.tto Messrs Kennedy and' Taj lor, their price being ,£1615. Finance.—The total cost of the bridge* is stated (by County) at of which amount the Government supplies £2 joo as £1 tor £1, ; and also a free grant of ,£3OO on account of special difficulties in : construction incurred in keeping nayrgation open while building the bridge.

Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement. —The Royal Commission on siltirjg sat and reported in 1910 and the Waihbu and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Act passed the same year. The Public Works Department then proceeded to accumulate data by survey etc., and compensated farmers whose lands had been injured by silt. Comprehensive surveys frpm Mackaytown to the Junction, and from Te Aroha to Kopu have also been made and rainfall and other data obtained for the consideration and adoption of a co-ordinated scheme*of flood control by means of sfopbanks and dredging. Certain more obvious parts of the work it has been possible to carry out in advance of the general scheme ; t such are the Ngararahi and Koutu Cuts^'the Paeroa Stop Bank protecting the town from the Ohinemuri River, the destruction ol 78 miles of willow trees along the banks of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers : which last, has had a great and immediate effect in reducing the height and duration ol floods in the Upper Waihou River, between Te Aroha and the Junction of the Ohinemuri ; and the acquirement of easement rights. The general scheme of river control comprises as iniicated the use of stop banks and dredging. A dredge has been designed by the Department, and a contract let for building it, and it was hoped that it would have- been at work .last April, but the contractor is so badly behind time that the dredge is not ready yet. However, it is nearly ready, and will certainly make a start this April. In view of the time that has elapsed since the Commissioners sat, it is necessary to remember that work such as river control . must proceed very ( circumspectly ; and besides raising stop banks to prevent flood overflow-, it is necessary to provide other room for the water to flow in without backing up the river. Continuing, the Minister said he 9

would see that a sufficient sum was put on the estimates to build the bridge required at Tirohia. The bridge they 'were opening that day was one to be proud of, and it would be a source of pleasure "and profit to all concerned. Nowadays people were always in a tremendous hurry, and the settlers were entitled to a more Expeditious means of crossing the river thin they had formerly. Regarding Ihe embankments on the river, the reason they were, not gone on with earlier s was that the depirtment hadto see that all ( the work was carried out in accordance with the pre-arranged scheme, and it was no use confining then; work to one small portion of the ' valley. It was not the tault of the department that there had been delay, but now the dredsre ought to gel right to work and the scheme for improving the rivers would be carried out in its entirety. Now that they had the dredge the people would do right to blame the department if there was any delay in carrying out the scheme He hoped' •before long that he would have the opportunity of spending a few d.iys in the valley. They had a fine bridge and a fine country, and it lay with the people themselves to develop the country and make it worthy of their work. Mr H. Poland,. M P., said it was many years since the initiation of the agitation for the Paerba-Nelheitm Bridge. He felt certain that when the Minister went into ihe figures-he would give an additional grant towards the bridge, and he would be justified in doing so. . He believed the bridge would be found to be too narrow foi the traffic over it and that it svould require widening'as'the traffic over it would be greater than had at first been considered possible. There was no finer land in the Dominion than that which" would be served by the bridge, which would be an important link between Paeroa and the land overas far as Kerepeebi. He concluded by congratulating the Netheiton people on the magnificent luncheon that day to 1 celebrate the opening of the bridge. - Mr R. W. Bagnall (Chairman of the Thames County Council) congratulated the people on the opening of a bridge that was so long needed and on the completion of a much needed work. He mentioned that the Thames County Council was also doing something to-, wards the opening up of the district, the plans and .specifications for a bridge at Orchard having been forwarded to the Public Works Department for approval, - and this was not the' only bridge to be constructed by the Thames County Council. He believed that the bridge tiiey were opening that day should not be the only crossing over the. river between there and its mouth. There was no better stretch of land anywhere than that between the Waihou and Piako Rivers, and he hoped and trusted that the bridge would te found of great use and that (heidistrict would progress and prosper. Mr H Lowe (Mayor of Thames) expressed the .hope that in the future there would be many bridges between here and' Thames, and mentioned that at Thames they had been trying for 14 years to get a punt on the river and had not got it vet. Mr M. G. Power (Mayor of Waihi) and Mr W. Norrell (Mayor of Te Aioha) also made short speeches of congratulation on the opening of the bridge. Mr W. Taylor, on behalf of the contractors (Messrs Kennedy and Taylor) expressed their gratitude to the County Council for assistance given in carrying out the work, making special reference to the assistance of the Chairman. He also congratulated the people of Netherton and Paeroa on the completion of such an important work. On behalf of his firm he presented to the Minister a pair of scissors to cut the ribbon, thus denoting that the bridge is officially opened. The Minister thanked the contractors for the scissors, which he handed to Miss Corbett, who- cut the ribbon, and the bridge was declared officially opened amidst cheering.