PROBLEMS OF ROADING

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1935, Page 7

PROBLEMS OF ROADING

DIRECT ACCESS TO COAST PETITION FROM SETTLERS. POSITION OF REREKINO ROAD. URUTI AND KOHURATAHI LINK. The necessity for providing road access between the coast and Central Taranaki by linking Unrti and Kohuratahi was affirmed by the North Taranaki Fanners’ Union at Inglewoo on Friday, when the conference carried a remit from the Uruti branch urging the Government to push on with the forming and metalling of Road through to Kohuratahi. In the discussion a member stressed the necessity for first metalling roads that haa been opened for very many years before opening nev roads. Mr. A. R. Alpe produced petitions that had been signed by 65 settlers of the Whangamomona district and 35 of the Uruti district impressing on the Minister of Public Works the necessity for forming that part of the Mangaowata Road, which would connect Marco Road with the Rerekino Road, also any unformed portions of the two latter roads, thus connecting Uruti with Kohuratahi by road, giving access to the coastal districts one wa'y and to the railway the other. A covering letter pointed out mat the length of formation was only five miles and would serve several settlers as yet not properly given access. The route would be a scenic one, as it would traverse five miles of scenic reserve along the Waitara River. It would be a more direct route to the Tangarakau Gorge for Waitara and New Plymouth people, having future tourist possibilities. The project was of more than local importance. They asked the department to make a final choice between that and any alternative route as a natural road, and for the work to be put in hand as soon as possible. The road affected the whole of North Taranaki, added Mr. Alpe, particularly in regard io the sale of heifers, as Kohuratahi, which was alongside the main trunk railway, was one of the best centres for the safe of-heifers. He thought the Government favoured carrying out the work as it would act as a feeder to the railway and open up new country. Mr. G. Gower (Whangamomona), /in seconding the remit, said that an additional aspect was that the opening of the road would bring the Whangamomona district within 25 miles of the beach instead of 80 miles as at present. It would also give settlers a market for their stock* Mr." J. B. Carr said roads that had been opened for years should be metalled before new roads were opened. Okau Road had been opened for 41 years and all that it required now was a few miles of metal to give some of the settlers the access they had been waiting for for such a long time. Mr. J. A. Paulger (Tikorangi) opposed the remit on principle. He said it was a matter that should be dealt with by the county councils and the Public Works Department and did not come within the scope, of the union conference. Delegates did not know sufficient about the position and might be laying themselves open to being charged with advocating extravagant expenditure. , Mr. Chapman said the union should be careful about interfering in matters that should be attended to by local bodies. They had been criticised for that before. (Hear! Hear.) Mr. S. S. Butt' (Uruti) said- the union had always been out to support the backblocks settler. He did hot wish to jeopardise the chances of other districts securing metalled access, but the road under discussion passed through easy country and would open up good country and also provide access to a good market. Mr. Maloney moved as an amendment that the matter be referred to the executive, which could obtain the necessary information. Mt. M. Davis seconded. Mr. B. A. Richmond (Midhirst) considered that the backblocks settler required all the assistance he could get. Delegates should deal with the matter themselves when they had settlers present to give all information required and not refer it to the executive, which would probably not be in a position to obtain information. He thought they should also get behind Mr. Carr in his efforts to secure metalled access. Other members who had been without metalled access for years also supported the remit, pointing out that there were settlers at each end of the road without metalled access. Mr. Maloney said the executive should go into the question of all reading requirements, place them in order of urgency and press for their completion. In reply Mr. Alpe said the Government was giving the matter. favourable consideration, as it had arranged for a survey of portion, of the road. Over 100 settlers had signed the petition for the road, which would also take much traffic off the main highway. The amendment was lost and the remit carried almost unanimously.