MONEY SPENT ON HIGHWAYS

Southland Times, Issue 23828, 27 May 1939, Page 14

MONEY SPENT ON HIGHWAYS

MAINTENANCE COSTS REVIEWED MORE OUTLAY REQUIRED FOR BETTER SURFACES “Maintenance costs will have to be increased if better gravelled surface roads are required." This statement was made by the engineer to the Wallace County Council (Mr J. G. C. Baker) in a special report to the monthly meeting of the council on activities for the year ended March 31, 1939. The average maintenance costs for gravel surfacing work a mile for the year on those main highways controlled by the council, totalling 229 miles, were as follows:— £ s d Total average cost a mile a year 62 15 6 Main Highways share 47 1 8 Council’s share 15 13 10 These costs .were an increase of 34 per cent, on the average of the last nine years (up to March 31, 1938) but a decrease of 4 per cent, on last year’s figures. Typical maintenance costs on main highways in the county were shown by the engineer as follows:— Orepuki riding.—lnvercargill-Tua-tapere section, 22.5 miles in length, £2062 spent; cost a mile a year, £92. Pourakino riding.—lnvercargill-Tua-tapere section, 5.5 miles in length, £5OO spent; cost a mile a year, £9l. Waimatuku riding.—lnvercargillTuatapere, 8 miles, £839 spent, cost a mile a year, £lO5. Aparima riding.—Riverton-Otautau (Fairfax-Otautau), 4.5 miles, £537 spent; cost a mile a year, £ll9. Aparima riding.—Otautau-Nightcaps, 7.5 miles, £213 spent; cost a mile a year, £2B. Otautau riding.—Argyle-Tuatapere and Lindsay-Calcium, 9.3 miles, £396 spent; cost a mile a year, £43. Waiau riding.—Argyle-Tuatapere, 14 miles, £475 spent; cost a mile a year l , £34.

Wairaki riding.—Winton-Ohai, 4 miles, £376 spent; cost a mile a year, £94. Wairio riding.—Winton-Ohai, 10.75 miles, £lO2B spent; cost a mile a year, £96. Mararoa riding.—Lumsden-Te AnauMilford (Lumsden-Mossburn), 9.5 miles, £1059 spent; cost a mile a year, £lll. AVERAGE COST ON ROADS “The average cost a mile for the year on the balance of the metalled roads controlled by the council—taken as 545 miles—works out at £l4/17/-,” the engineer’s report states. “This is an increase of 36 per cent, on the average for the last eight years (up to March 31, 1938), but a decrease of 23 per cent, on last year’s figures. Taking all roads together, this year’s figures are 24 per cent, above the average, but 14 per cent, below last year’s figures. Maintenance costs will have to be increased if bettter gravelled surface roads are required. “The metalled mileage of roads in the county was increased by eight miles, as against the last 20 years’ average of 15 miles. The total metalled mileage in the county is now 864 miles. This total includes the Sunnyside-Monowai road (taken as seven miles and a-half) and that portion (36£ miles) of the Te Anau Milford main highway in this county and the total is made up of 304 miles of main highways and 560 miles of county roads. , PETROL TAX REFUND “The year’s refund of petrol tax for the petrol consumed in the Council’s road maintenance machinery (10 power graders and three light trucks) amounted to £417/11/6. This is a decrease of £5B/14/6 on last year’s figures and is accounted for, to a great extent, by the replacement about the end of October, 1937, of twc petrol burning motorgraders by Deisel engined machines. The plant now comprises three petrol engined trucks, six petrol engined graders, and four Diesel engined graders. For the year the actual running costs of the motor-car, now 12 months old, amounted to 1.99 d a mile.”