MAINTENANCE OF ROADS

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1935, Page 14

MAINTENANCE OF ROADS

EGMONT COUNTY AFFAIRS ERECTION OF THE OURI BRIDGE. MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of.the Egmont County Council was held at Opunake yesterday. There were present: Crs. W. C. Green (chairman), J. Young, E. G. Holmes, A. J. Lilley, J. S. Tosland, E. A. Cnllins, S. F. Farquhar and T. Willcox. Reporting on the work done during the month ended last Saturday, the county engineer, Mr. J. G. Mclvor, said that on the main South Road banking and water-tabling was attended to and asphalt was patched and gritted. A new outlet was made for a culvert at Pihama. Logs were cleared from the Waiweranui bridge at Warea and repairs were effected to the decking of the Ouri bridge on Skeet Road. On the Kahui Road, at the. Wiremu Road junction, a start was made with scarifying and re-shaping, about 30 chains being completed. As a result of the flood further attention would be required. Some banking and water-tabling was done on the Eltham Road and planks on the Ouri bridge were spiked down. In the South riding clay and pit metal blinding was done on Kiri and Stratford roads, and some decking planks were renewed on the bridge on lower Waiteika Road. The Wiremu Road suffered severely from floods but was again fit for traffic. Wash-outs were repaired at the Waiaua, Mangahume and Punehu bridges and at two culverts, the work at Mangahume being done by men from the relief camp. The small bridge over the Punehu tributary was damaged during cartage work, but was immediately repaired. . In the Central riding blinding was done on Arawhata, Opua and upper Kina roads, and patching on the lower Kina and Rahotu roads. Water-tabling and draining was done on Namu Road. FLOOD DAMAGE IN RIDING. Flood damage in the North riding was largely confined to Dirtyman’s creek, a branch of the Teikaparua stream. The small wooden bridge on the Okahu Road and a similar one on Warea Main Road near the f„ Tory were swept away. The bridge on the Warea Road was restored on February 24 and should be reasonably safe for a considerable time. The Okahu Road job was very temporary and should be re-built. Logs were still being cleared from the bridge on the upper Parihaka Road. The approaches that had been scoured out were re-built and patching was done above the bridge. Pungarehu Road was patched and blinded with pit metal. Metalling had been resumed on the Wiremu Road.

The Opunake Town Board notified that for the quarter ending February 28 heavy traffic fees collected totalled £63 4s sd. After deducting £3 3s 3d commission on collection and £l7 10s for the town board’s share the amount due to the county council was £42 Us 2d. Messrs. J. H. Francis and Co., Wellington, notified that the question of loans conversion would be placed before the Loans Board as soon as possible. The New Plymouth Harbour Board forwarded a resolution striking the same harbour rate as last year. The Taranaki County Council forwarded a claim for £lB4 13s sd, being half the cost of maintaining the Puniho boundary road for the ten months ending January 31. The Eltham County Council wrote that the council’s half share of the cost of maintaining the Eltham boundary road was £193 17s 6d. The Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Finance, wrote expressing appreciation of the action of the council in passing a resolution in reference to the efforts being made to reduce the rate of interest. SUBSIDY FOR BRIDGE.

The Main Highways Board forwarded its approval of plans, specifications and estimates for the proposed bridge over the Ouri stream on the Main South Road, the work to be subsidised on a £1 for £1 basis. The council decided that as soon as the plans were finally approved the engineer should call tenders for the work.

The ranger, Mr. W. Weaver, reported that he had impounded 21 head of cattle from the Pungarehu, Kina, Opourapa, Eltham, Auroa and Ihaia roads. Up to date 501 dogs had been registered. The Main Highways Board forwarded a circular asking local authorities to arrange as early as possible for the classification of all the recently declared main highways. The advantages of restricting permissible loading was stressed, it being pointed out that as the board now paid by far the larger proportion of the cost of maintaining all main highways it was vitally interested in the matter.

The Minister of Agriculture notified that no financial assistance towards the salary of an inspector of noxious weeds appointed by the council could be given by the department. Provision was made, however, for the local authority to levy rates to raise the money necessary.