ROADS IN AUSTRALIA

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1930, Page 11

ROADS IN AUSTRALIA

COMMONWEALTH’S LOAD. The Australian- Government would:' welcome th© opportunity of a release: frofn the Federal Aid Roads Agreement, by which it pays £2,000,000 annually to the Statesi The agreement, however, has been ratified by all the State Parlia-' meats, and it is linlikcly that' the States' would pass legislation. releasing the' Commonwealth from its obligation. ' The Federal Minis,try proposes to abandon its right of supervision of the Federal Aid. Roads . fund, and .release the’ States from the obligation to contribute any particular* sum from their own funds. : ; / The Federal Aid Roads Act was passed by the Bruce-Page Government in 192 G, and in the last four years £8,000,000 has been paid by the Com-' monwealth to the States for roads under conditions requiring the. State Governments to contribute 15s for every £1 provided by the Commonwealth, which had the right of supervision of the expenditure of the money. The fund from which the Commonwealth makes its payments is derived from a duty of 2d a gallon on petrol, which was imposed in 1926. . A new agreement will have to bo submitted for ratification to the Federal Parliament -to give effect to tho proposal to free the States from their obligation to contribute 15s in 'the £l. It is probable that when this is being debated, attention will bo directed to the unfairness of the Commonwealth ■ thj? entire, burden of providing funds for State roads.