FOOTPATHS AND STREETS

Southland Times, Issue 23773, 22 March 1939, Page 6

FOOTPATHS AND STREETS

Big Expenditure Not

Desired

ESTIMATE TO COVER ALL STREETS MORE THAN £500,000 INVOLVED The prospect of an expenditure of £505.880 and increasing the city rates by about 41.4 per cent, was not well received by the City Council at its meeting last night. At the last meeting of the council the assistant city engineer (Mr R. P. Fish) was asked to submit an estimate of the total cost of sealing streets, and forming and sealing footpaths, with provision for kerbing and channelling. The request was made by the Mayor (Mr J. R. Hanan) following a complaint by some of the councillors that insufficient progress in the sealing of the streets was being made. The town clerk (Mr W. F. Sturman) also was asked to report upon the effect the carrying out of the work would have on the rates.

The reports of the assistant engineer and the town clerk were submitted to the council last evening.

RESULT OF SURVEY The report of the assistant engineer stated: A survey of streets and footpaths of the city of Invercargill (omitting all streets to the west of the Waihopai

To complete the sealing of all streets (18ft wide), to kerb and channel all streets and to seal all footpaths for the full width (10ft) would involve an expenditure of £342,880 made up as follows:— £

In preparing this estimate an average amount for each class of work has been taken and applied throughout the whole area because the consideration of the particular requirements of each street would necessitate a long and expensive survey. No allowance has been made in the figures for the treatment of the flanks of roadways (a width each side of about 13 feet between the channel and the street paving). To gravel all street flanks would cost an additional £163,000. During the present paving season two miles and a-half of gravelled roads have been been sealed and about 31 miles of reconstructed footpaths (73,000 square miles) have been given a first seal coat while the application of the second coat is now in progress. A further four miles of footpaths that has recently been reconstructed has yet to be sealed. ANNUAL LOAN CHARGE In his report the town clerk said that the Local Government Loans Board would fix the rate of sinking fund in accordance with the estimated life of the asset created, but he estimated that the annual loan charge, assuming that money was available at 3| per cent, per annum, would be £38,424. “Our present rate levy is £93,000 per annum, so that a loan of the amount indicated would have the effect of increasing the rates by approximately 41.4 per cent,” added the town clerk. Cr A. Scott suggested that the report be referred to the Works Committee for consideration. “I don’t think councillors have had an opportunity of discussing the matter,” he said. “The report should be received and referred to the Works Committee. No one wants the rates increased,” he added. The Mayor (Mr J. R. Hanan): You don’t want the rates increased?

Cr Scott: No. The Mayor: Well, why not move that no action be taken?

Cr Scott said the council certainly could not consider the report until it was known what money was available.

The motion was seconded. Cr F. R. Webb moved as an amendment that no action be taken. There was no need to send the report to the Works Committee —it would be a waste of time, he said. Cr A. W. Jones: It’s too ridiculous.

Cr Webb said it apparently was not realized by some that the council had been authorized to raise £117,000 in loans for necessary works. The council already had raised £55,000 and most of that money had been spent. In addition thousands of pounds had been paid in wages by the Government. It would be inadvisable to expect additional money to be spent at present, but when the next estimates were being considered the council could take into consideration allocations of certain rate money to augment the work, “AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME” “It would be utterly useless to send the report on,” said Cr Jones, who seconded the amendment. The council was carrying out a fairly ambitious programme and was carrying it out well, he said. It was just a question whether the programme was not too ambitious. He wanted to see the men kept on and not put off their work. The rates of the city already were high and the people did not want an additional burden.

The Mayor, who supported the amendment, said that tremendous progress had been made during the last three years. Forty-two per cent, of the streets were tar-sealed and most of that work had been done in the last two years. If that rate of progress was maintained it would not be long before all the streets were sealed.

“Thirty-one miles have been done in the last three months and yet some people say that it is not enough,” added the Mayor. The possibility of being faced with an increase in the money rate and the fact that the money might not be avail-

able should not be lost sight of, said Cr E. J. McLauchlan. He was satisfied that in a few years it would be difficult to find any. street not tar-sealed. The amendment was carried. Cr Webb said that he wished to make it clear that in addition to the loan money the council had had, it had also been subsidized £1 for £1 by the Government.

The town clerk (Mr W. F. Sturman) said the best part of £200,000 had been spent in Invercargill for two years, and the council had been in the happy position of having every able-bodied married man in full-time employment.

river) shows:— Miles p.c. Streets paved or surface sealed 32.3 42.4 Streets gravelled 36.4 47.8 Streets unformed or requiring major reconstruction 7.5 9.8 TOTAL MILES 76.2 Kerbing and channelling complete 8 6 Kerbing only 16.2 12 No kerb or channel 110 82 TOTAL 134.2 Footpaths sealed full width 5.5 4 Footpaths sealed 4ft wide 88 64.3 Footpaths gravelled 10.3 7.5 Footpaths unformed or requiring major reconstruction 33 24.2 TOTAL 136.8

Street formation and sealing Footpath formation and sealing Kerb and channelling 91,350 104,110 147,420 TOTAL £342,880