MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD

Southland Times, Issue 20394, 25 January 1928, Page 4

MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD

VISIT TO GORE. BOROUGH COUNCIL’S REQUESTS. The members of the Main Highways Board who are to make a tour of Southland and meet the various local bodies interested in road construction and maintenance, arrived in Gore from Dunedin last evening and subsequently conferred with the members of the Gore Borough Council. The personnel of the board is as follows: Messrs F. W. Furkert (chairman), J. Wood, J. J. Gibson (Government representatives), M. D. Wynyard (Motor Association’s representative), C. J. Talbot, A. E. Jull (counties’ representative), A. Tyndall (engineer), W. A. Sutherland (secretary), J. R. Marks (chairman of District Highways Councils 16 and 17), and A. A. Williamson (secretary of District Highway Councils 16 and 17). The members of the Gore Borough Council present were:—The Mayor (Mr D. McDougall), Councillors J. Brownlie, W. D. Shelton, H. Black, A. T. Newman, C. R. B. Wilkinson, T. Sim. THE COUNCIL’S REPRESENTATIONS. On behalf of the council the Mayor extended a hearty welcome to the representatives of the board and briefly placed the council’s representations before them. The Borough of Gore, he stated, was so placed that many visitors from the north passed over its main roads on their way to other parts of the province. Consequently it was called upon to maintain three main highways which passed through it, and that to a council which did not possess many sources of revenue was a fairly difficult problem. These highways were the main roads leading to Kingston, the main road from the southern boundary to Hamilton street and the main road from the traffic bridge to Wentworth street. The borough council had also to contribute towards the maintenance of the traffic bridge across the Mataura. This bridge was extensively used by motorists from other parts. The cost of erecting the bridge was borne equally by the Government, the Gore Borough and the Southland County Council, but after it Was built, the Government ceased to contribute towards its maintenance which was shared by the borough and the Southland County Council. The cost of maintenance was very heavy and the council desired to suggest that the Main Highways Board should give £1 for every £2 expended by the borough and the county council. This would enable the bridge to be kept in excellent repair, thus obviating any danger to traffic passing over it. It was also suggested that the board should contribute one-third of the cost of maintenance of the main highways passing through the borough. There were four and three-quarter miles of main highways in the borough and the total annual cost of maintenance was approximately £4OO. The chairman, M. Furkert, stated that the board was in the very happy position of being able to give the council more than it bad asked for. As soon as these streets were declared main highways, and that would not be more than a month, the board would be 1 able to pay 60 per cent, of the expenditure on their maintenance. This would mean that of the £4OO expended annually £240 would be contributed by the board.

With regard to the road leading from the bridge and Hamilton street, and the one leading from the bridge to Wentworth street, it would be necessary for the council to decide which it desired to be declared a main highway. This would also be a matter in which the Southland County Council was interested and its views also required to be obtained. So far as the bridge was concerned, the board would contribute 30/- for every £1 contributed by the borough and the Southland County Council for maintenance. When the borough intended to carry out any major work, such as tar sealing, it would be necessary to place a schedule, of the proposed works before the board. The Mayor, on behalf of the council, thanked the chairman and members of the board for the satisfactory manner in which the council’s representations had been received. The borough, he stated, would do all in its power to keep the main highways in its boundaries in good repair. The members of the board leave Gore at 9 this morning for Invercargill and will subsequently visit Winton, Otautau and Tuatapere.