WAITOMO COUNTY AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1933, Page 14

WAITOMO COUNTY AFFAIRS

ROAD AND BRIDGE WORK. ACCESS FOR MOKAU SETTLERS. Te Kuiti, July* 15. The Waitomo County Council at its meeting yesterday received a letter from the Mokau River Settlers’ Association requesting that an area on the southern bank of.the Mokau River be transferred from the Clifton county to the Waitomo county. There was no hope, it had heen explained at a recent conference, of roads being constructed on both sides of the river. The Clifton County Council was not in a .position to assist in any way. The road on the northern side had been formed part of the distance by the Waitomo County Council. The settlers wished this road on the northern bank to be completed, arid, at a later stage, metalled. The letter pointed out that. £2OO was paid in rates by the settlers concerned, and this would entitle them to better access than at, present A member of the council pointed out that the area concerned lay in a large bend in the Mokau River. Most of the stock for it came .through the Waitomo county and was transferred across the Mokau by punt. There was no possibility of forming a road up the southern bank of the river. Another member stated that as the settlers were using the Waitomo road in any case, it would be an advantage if the area were incorporated in the Waitomo county. . ‘ After further discussion concerning maintenance it was decided to communicate with the Clifton county asking its attitude in regard to the proposed transfer. . The Public Works Department advised that applications had been received for the metalling of the Ngatarawa Road and £lOO had been promised by the settlers of that locality. The council was asked if it was prepared to make a contribution toward the cost. It was suggested by a member that it would be worth while contributing if the Native Affairs Department paid its quota toward the upkeep of the road, but other members expressed the opinion that the department should contribute toward the cost of construction as well as toward the maintenance. The council decided to make £6O available for the work, that amount being set down in the estimates for the maintenance of the road. The Waikato Hospital Board, replying to the protest lodged by the. council against the increase in the hospital levy, pointed out that it was bound by the Hospifal and Charitable Aid Act in its collection and that the board had to provide in its estimates for the expected increase in expenditure on account of the raising of the exchange nd the sales tax. If it had not been for these measures the levy from local bodies would have been materially less than last year. A letter from the Main Highways Board stated that the renewals of bridges in the county which had been approved this year were the Kurakura Bridge, £560, and the Mapiu Stream bridge, £460. The board also advised that the follow-

ing amounts had been expended, during the year 1932-33 on the main highways within the Waitomo county: Te KuitiPiopio, £1932; Hangatiki-Te Kuiti, £1213; Piopio-Mahoenui, £1699; Te Kuiti-Bulls, £1725.