PAYING FOR BRIDGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 838, 5 December 1929, Page 1

PAYING FOR BRIDGE

“Highways Should Share Burden”

SUGGESTION BY MR. A. HARRIS

ASSUMING that the proposed harbour bridge was to cost £850,000, Mr. A. Harris, M.P., suggested to the Harbour Bridge Commission this morning that that sum be raised by the Government for the construction of the bridge, and that the interest on the same be paid by the Main Highways Board at the rate of 5 per cent, on £564,333 and users at the same rate on £285,667. With a sinking fund of one per cent, on the total cost paid by the users, he considered the loans would be paid off in thirty-six and a-half years.

The commission, which consists of jlr. J. March banks, engineer to the Wellington Harbour Board (chairman). Mr. F. W. Furkert, engineer-in- , hief of the Public Works Department, and Captain C. McDonald, retired shipmaster, of Dunedin, resumed its sitting this morning. Stating that owing to Devonport’s 'Ographical position, its interests did not coincide with those of other North shore boroughs. Mr. K. Aldridge, jigyor of Devonport, said yesterday a ternoon that his council could not , unmit its ratepayers to any financial responsibility for the bridge. \t its best, said Mr. Aldridge, it would only be a convenience as an alternative traffic route and not vital (he progress of the borough. While tie bridge might effect the status „! Devonport as the. leading North Store borough, the primary dependence of the Devonport people on the bridge would not be removed. The shortest route between the city and Devonport under the bridge proposals would be two and a-quarter times longer than by the water route, said Mr. Aldridge, and if the causeways were not authorised the distance would be five times. Also, if the ferries were eliminated after the erection of the bridge the aggregate extra rust of transport to Devonport resists would be about £50,000 a year. Mr. Aldridge said his council beloved that the inclusion of Devonport in a rafing district would not be warranted by any definite advantages derivable from the bridge. Devonport traffic should be practically eliminated Tom any tolls computation. It was agreed that all the North Shore boroughs would benefit in regard to water supply. The suggestion that the cost of the bridge should be allocated between tha Main Highways Board and the users of the bridge was made this morning by Mr. A. Harris. M.P. He suggested that the Main Highways Board shoull pay 5 per cent, interest on £564,333. leaving the users of the bridge to pay 5 per cent, on the remaining £285,667, as well as sinking tunffon the whole of the £850,000.

PAID FOR IN 36 YEARS He suggested that a sinking fund of one per cent, would liquidate the total in 36J years. The users of the bridge would also, have to pay twofifths of the maintenance of the bridge, leaving the remainder to be paid by the Main Highways Board. The question was whether the public could pay this sum. On the Ferry Company’s own figures 5,460 vehicles • rossed the harbour weekly. Not allowing for passengers in cars, this would bring in a sum of £14,196 in tolls. . It could safely be assumed that the traffic would largely increase with a bridge available, and even if it only doubled in the first year a yearly revenue of £28,392 would be received. Summed up, Mr. Harris considered that the bridge as a work of national importance should be put in hand immediately and that a special loan should be raised by the Government ind earmarked for this work, and

that the Main Highways Board should contribute to the work as it was empowered to do so on bridge work

exceeding £IO,OOO, and that the balance as set out should be paid by users. There was no suggestion that South island districts would be assisting in the building of an ,Auck'ani bridge, because as far as posable such highway payments came Principally from the islands concerned.

He considered the suggestion a practical one and was sure that in 36 years a fine bridge would have been erected and loans paid off. To Mr. Meredith: He considered the P°‘*t to be of the first importance. If be thought the port was to be jeoparded he would not favour the construction of a bridge. Mr. Meredith: What limit of cost *ould you be prepared to go? Hr. Harris: A million and a-half if accessary. Meredith: Would you be preijjtsd to rate local bodies on that? Tiri local bodies say they do not want on it. r * G. P. Finlay protested that that *** Dot so. The local bodies nearly J? slate that they had not officially (I s:ussed that question as the Bridge Association had not put the proposal t 0 hem.

Mr. Meredith: Several representanm ‘ s °f boroughs have expressed their erßonal opinion against rating. I it can be inferred that as they the official mouthpieces they are rese Dting the opinions of their respective councils. p OWER BOARDS EVIDENCE J. W. Hayden, chairman of the fcitemata Electric-Power Board and c ®* eni b er of the Takapuna Borough cm? I *?’ said his board experienced 'Arable difficulty through the in- , °f the board’s engineer to obaccess to all parts of the area the hours when the ferries are Woi.M nnin "‘ The Provision of a bridge mini increase efficiency in the adS t t . ration °f the board’s affairs, «oahi * Mobility of transport would eiU .!® tDore work to be done by the staff. r Hayden considered that imse Potential development must f4cil Jlace with improved transport *uch as % bridge. His board

: j was most anxious to assist the developulent in the country area by sup- - plying electrical energy to help the ■ rural population, but unless greater . settlement ensues it must be many ■ years before a larger portion of the i district can be served. In spite of the good service given by the Ferry Company, he was quite satisfied that the retarded development of the Waitemata County was in a large measure due to the objection of many people to crossing the harbour in a boat, and to the fact that they cannot obtain an uninterrupted transport service. Undoubtedly the residential population of the cross-harbour district would also be largely augmented by the erection of the bridge, and these would also be potential consumers of the board's supply, said Mr. Hayden. MOTORISTS OPPOSE TOLL Representing the Auckland Automobile Association, Mr. G. W. Hutchison said his association had a membership of 11,772, and it was increasing rapidly. He said that at the annual meeting held in 1928 a resolution was passed recording appreciation of the efforts made by the Harbour Bridge Association to have a bridge ei'ected, and recommending motorists to give the project their hearty support. At the annual meeting iu 1929 a similar resolution was passed. Mr. Hutchison said that many motorists refrained from crossing the harbour owing to prejudice against vehicular ferries. Members had even expressed fear of the danger of cars going over the wharf owing to the low coping. There was also an objection to the delays occasioned, and the return fare of 3s was a deterrent against going across the harbour. The fare for going across the Sydney Harbour was Sd each way. He considered the Ferry Company should be the most ardent advocate for the bridge because the .increased population that would result would increase its revenue on passenger ferries. He considered it essential that the Main North Highway should be connected with the southern arterial highway system. It was not right that a main highway should be brought to the water’s edge and travellers left t.o a proprietary service to link up with the highway across the water. He knew of no legal redress that motorists would have if the fares were increased by the company to 5s or 10s. He was also of opinion that the bridge should be constructed and maintained by the State out of the Public Works Fund. Legislation would also be necessary to enable the State to collect betterment from land owners advantaged by the bridge on the principle set up by the Town Planning Act. He said the Government should also be entitled to obtain an appropriate contribution from users, but a toll would be opposed by the Auckland Automobile Association, which considers that the appropriate method of collecting motorists’ contributions is per medium of the Main Highways Board. The assessing of that contribution would be fixed along the lines adopted in connection with the Main Highways. it was not the duty of motorists nor the Main Highways Board to construct highways. The principle had been affirmed that motorists should only pay for the improvement of the highways to make them suitable for motor traffic, similarly motorists should not pay for the bridge but only for their fair share over and above the expenditure which should properly be undertaken by the State in order to give main highway access. The toll system was recognised as an antiquated method of collecting revenue. TOWN-PLANNING NEEDS Edward Le Petit, architect, and a member of the Town-Planning Association said the Point Erin-Northcote route broke the first principle of townplanning in that it ran away from the heart of the city. Also, if the Shelly Beach Road was to become the outlet the excessive grades, such as those on College Hill, would be a detrimental factor. He considered the Shoal Bay scheme had many disadvantages. There was no immediate connection with the main northern highway; extensive causeways were needed; and there was a possibility of the bridge being an obstruction to the free movements of shipping. Personally, he considered the Beaumont Street-Northcote Point to be the most suitable route. With the completion of the new waterfront viaduct now in progress, direct access would be gained by swinging the approach gently to meet the end of Jellieoe Street; moreover, traffic would stai t to lose its volume immediately, as Beaumont and other branch streets lead off to the western portion of the city The approach to the bridge, carried well past the reclamation, offered no obstruction to shipping. He considered it the most economical of the three routes, connecting as it did almost immediately with the main northern highway which, in turn, radiates to the centres of population. : (Continued on Page 11.) I