HAURAKI PLAINS NEWS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 690, 15 June 1929, Page 13

HAURAKI PLAINS NEWS

General rates decided upon by the Hauraki Plains County Council at its monthly meeting on Thursday were as follow: Turua riding, Id (down id); Horaliia riding, 2d (down 2d); Netherton riding, lid (down id); Patetonga riding. 2ld (down id); Kopuarahi riding, 2id (same); Ke.repeehi riding, 2d (same); Ngatea riding, 2id (same); Pipiroa riding, 2id (same); and Waitakaruru riding, 2id (same).

Representations to the Minister of AgricLilture by the Hauraki Plains County Council, to allow it to declare tall fescue a noxious weed within the clean areas of the county, have been considered, and the Department of Agriculture is having the, whole problem of dealing with the pest investigated by a competent officer. At present the Noxious Weeds Act did not permit a local body declaring a plant or weed within a part only of its district but this, and the question of including tall fescue in the schedLile of noxious weeds could be remedied by an Order-in-Council. However, the Minister of Agriculture has advised the council to defer further action until the departmental report had been received.

The proposal of the Hauraki Plains CoLinty Council to seal at least a mile of road in each riding each year with bitumen has received a severe setback from the Highways Board, which has advised that the subsidy will only be £ for £ for penetration, or £1 for £2 for surface sealing. Replies to deputations to the Minister of Public Works who visited Hauraki Plains recently were received by the county council at its meeting on Thursday.

For the purpose of metalling the shoulders of the Turua town district, bitumen roads, a £ for £ subsidy on work estimated to cost £390 would be considered. A refusal to increase the subsidy on the proposed metalling of the Waitakaruru-Mor.rinsville Road, from £2 to £l, to £ 4 to £l, was received from the Minister of Public Works, who also declined to increase the subsidy on the Awaiti district roads to make it equal to that paid in adjoining districts.

Advice was received of the recommendation of a £2 for £1 subsidy for the renewal of the Mahuta Road bridge, which was estimated to cost £650, and advice was received that the council’s application for assistance toward bridging the Ngarua stream at Kaihere had been deferred for a report by the Public Works Department.

The Valuation Department agreed to undertake the revalution of the county. It was agreed to have the Ngatea township street lights reinstated.