OTOROHANGA COUNTY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 76, Issue 6507, 28 April 1948, Page 7

OTOROHANGA COUNTY

ENGINEER’S REPORT TO COUNCIL MUCH WORK CARRIED OUT The engineer, Mr B. McKenzie, submitted to Monday’s meeting of the Otorohanga County Council the following report:— During the month of March the following county roads received maintenance attention, the metal used being also stated:—• Honikiwi Riding: Honikiwi M.H., 75 cubic yards, Mountain View. Mangaorongo Riding; Mangaorongo ,M.H. 367 yards, Rangiatea 10, Maihiihi (Lur man’s) 18, a total of 395 cubic yards. Te Rau-a-M,oa Riding: KawhiaKawa (section 1) 90 yards, KawhiaKawa (section 2) 42,* Hikurangi 50, Otorohanga-Pirongia 2111, PirongiaNgutunui 13, Cannon’s 98 Mangati 205, Te Tahi 88, a total of 804 cubic yards.

Wharepapa Riding: Wharepuhunga M.H., Happy Valley, Ngahape 180 yards, Ngaroma, Hingaia, 147, a total of 327 cubic yards. The total amount of maintenance metal used in the county during the month of March was 1601 cubic yards.

The following roads were graded during the past month: Honikiwi Riding: Honikiwi M.H., Waitomo Valley, Ouruwhero. Mangaorongo Riding* Mangaorongo M.H., Rangiatea, Ngahape, Rangiatea School. Te Rau-a-Moa Riding: Kawhia-Kawa sections 1 and 2, Mangati, Ouruwhero, Te Tahi, Ouruwhero M.H., PirongiaNgutunui, Otorohanga-Pirongia, Pekanui. Waipa Riding: OtorohangaHangatiki, Puketawai. Wharepapa Riding: Wharepuhunga M.H., Hingaia, Ngahape, Bayly’s, Lethbridge’s, Ngaroma. Metal was scooped at Waipa bridge for Kawhia-Kawa sections 1 and 2, 110 cubic yards; Cannon’s, 140; Ouruwhero M.H., 30; Otorohanga-Pirongia 85. At Collinson-Smith’s 185 yards of metal were scooped for Otoroha-nga-Pirongia Road. Hired bulldozers were employed in cutting back corners on Wharepuhunga M.H., Ngaroma, Ngahape, and Loop Roads, and an access was put in the Staples pit. A review of applications for new main highways will be made shortly. The Council’s previous applications will again be examined.

The following estimates of expenditure on main highways for the year 1948-49 have been submitted: Ouruwhero: Maintenance, County £33, Main Highways Board £99;* total, £132. Honikiwi: Maintenance, County £250, Board £750, total £lOOO. Honikiwi: Reconstruction, County £BOO, Board £2400, total £3200. Hangatiki: Maintenance, County £lOO, Board £3OO, total £4OO. Hangatiki: Sealing, County £3OO, Board £9OO, total £l2OO. Mangaorongo: Maintenance, County £315, Board £945, total £1260. Ka-whia-Kawa: Maintenance, County £lO, Board £3O, total £4O. Wharepuhunga: Maintenance, County £420, Board £1260, total £l6BO. PirongiaNgutunui: Maintenance, County £4OO, Board £l2OO, total £l6OO. The full amount spent Will be £10,512, the County Council finding £2628 and the Main Highways Board £7884. Officers of the Soil Research Branch of the Department of Agriculture visited Otorohanga last week-end and experimented in the poisoning of willow growth in certain streams with hormone weed-killers. Tests were made by spraying the root-pads and by soil-injection.

Pamotu Farm Settlement: The Land Development Branch of the Lands and Survey Department has asked the Public Works Department to form and metal a road access to the middle section at the western end and the section at the top north-west corner of Pamotu Farm Settlement block, formerly known as Perham and Larsen’s. It appears that the new road will follow the western boundary from the Mangatutu Road, and will not be on the existing road reserve (Cottle’s Road extension). 'As the road will be handed over to the Council on completion, the Department has been asked to link the new road to Cottle’s, to make a through road possible later. An inspection of the suggested route will be made with a public works officer. •

Discussing the Pamotu Road, Cr Wynyard said that if the road was taken over he would like to see it continued as a through road, thus adding to its usefulness. He referred to a previous matter of a somewhat similar nature where the application of the settlers for a rural mail service was to an extent nullified by the fact that no through road was in existence. The engineer asked what the Council was prepared to contribute toward the cost of the work. The chairman suggested that further discussion be deferred so as to allow the councillors concerned and the engineer to inspect the road. The suggestion was agreed to, and the engineer’s report was adopted on the motion of Crs Grierson and Rothery.