COUNTY WORKS

Opunake Times, 15 November 1949, Page 3

COUNTY WORKS

ENGINEER'S REPORT

ROAD MAINTENANCE Mr. R, S. Martin (County Engineer) reported for October as follows: — Highways Maintenance Eltham Road: Bridges have been cleaned down and white washed, guard fences repaired and growth adjacent to the approaches removed. Extensive repairs to the banking along the sealed edges have been carried out, intertables and outlets cleaned. Skeet Road: Water tables and outlets have received attention. Knliut Road: Some 10 chains of drain have been cleaned, the metal length patched and banking along the sealed edges attended to, watei'tables and outlets have been cleaned, the metal length has been graded. Ihaia Road: Metal has been run out over several lengths and the watertables and outlets have received attention. Riding Maintenance The usual maintenance work including metalling where necessary, grading, cleaning of watertables and' outlets, etc. was carried out during the month on roads in each riding. General Gorse: Council's instructions noted and County Solicitors notified to proceed with prosecutions. Ragwort: Work under the grant will commence during the current week. Two applications for work to be done at full cost have been received from farmers. Sealing: Tenders have been called for this year's sealing works. Turn Road Extension: Negotiation are in train for the acquisition of the necessary _ road. At the moment one party is not agreeable but it is hoped to have this satisfactorily completed m the near future after a conference with the Maoris concerned and their Solicitor. The Surveyors have been instructed to proceed with the land survey.

Plant: All vehicles and plant have had their regular service attentions. Quarries: Now that the both crushing plants are operating under full load and the good crushing weather is approaching I wish to draw the Council's attention to a proposal I have _in mind on- the future crushing policy. It is hoped to be crushing on every available day and any surplus crushed metal dumped at the quarries for use during the winter months. When wet conditions make crushing difficult or when necessary plant overhauls and repairs are undertaken, if all metal crushed were put immediately upon the roads the strain on the truck carrying capacity would be too great and the riding finances would also be over stretched. Local Contractors are willing to take some surplus metal. ' The main point I wish the Council to understand is that at the end of the financial year the quarry account may be in debit as far as cash is concerned on the other hand the metal dumped Ims a definite value and provided the amount dumped has a value not less than the cash debit it would appear to me to be good business. Unfortunately local body i-c----counting does not provide for tie off setting of stock in hand against a cash debit.

I have discussed this matter very fully with, the County Clerk who is of the opinion that the scheme appears sound provided that the stock on hand at the 31st. March is not greater than can economically be absorbed during the Winter months and that a financial review of the quarry accounts be undertaken at the end of January. In this opinion I concur as it is yet early to estimate the true potential capacity of the plant. In particular regard to Kiri arry, M*. Bennett does not wish to continue the present arrangement of quarrying his property and desires that we shift after the 31st March. At the moment I propose shifting i'o Clements between Kiri and Kaweora Roads on the "VViremu Road but as yet nothing is finalised with Mr. Clement. My proposal for the new set up for this plant is to build larger bins and fit a screen to them so that similar screened crushed metal will be available to the South and part Central riding. The capacity of the plant will be 40-50 yards per day and the cost <-f shifting and re-erecting is estimated at approximately £3OO.