PIRONGIA BRIDGE

Waipa Post, Volume 41, Issue 3187, 12 August 1930, Page 5

PIRONGIA BRIDGE

APPORTIONMENT OF MAINTENANCE.

AGREEMENT REACHED AT CONFERENCE.

The following report was presented to Monday's meeting of the Waipa County Council: — • - As the result of representations made by the Waipa County Council to the Minister of Public Works, that* a warrant should be issued apportioning the cost of maintenance and . re- ~ pairs to the Waipa bridge at Pirongia, and the Minister’s recommendation that an effort should be made to arrive at an amicable settlement, a conference of the interested parties was held at the Waipa county chambers, Te Awamutu on Friday, Bth instant. The conference, which sat for nearly three hours, was attended by Messrs C. Johnstone, M. J. Corcoran, and J. Wtright (county engineer) representing Raglan County Council; Messrs F. Potts and G. Jackson (engineer), representing the Otorohanga County Council; Messrs C. G. Downes, W. D. R. McCurdie( borough engineer), and H. A. Swarbrick, representing Te Awamutu Borough Council; and Messrs S. C. B. Macky, J. T.; Johnson, J. W. Civil (engineer), and T. Grant (clerk), representing’ WaipaS County Council. , - * Mr Macky briefly explained that ' the object of the meeting was wrth a view to complying with the request of "■ the Minister of Public Works, whose £ letter was read. Repairs would Have, to be undertaken very soon at an'estimated cost of between £6OO and £7OO. The Waipa County Council the following as an equitable distrihu-r. tion of the cost: Raglan 60 Waipa 30 per cent, Te Awamuttt'TO-' i per cent, with Otorohanga county, ex- ', eluded. ' -> V This proposal met with the disapW proval of Raglan and Te Awamutu representatives. ; Mr C. Johnstone proposed that the - proportions should be Waipa 40 per cent, Raglan, 30" per’ cent, Otorohanga >. 10 per cent, and.Te Awamutu 20 per cent. - td 1 , " Mr Downes thought a "fairer basis would be:. Raglan 50 per cent, Waipa 35 per cent, Otorohanga 7irper cent, and Te Awamutu 7&" per cent. Various other proposals were advanced, until Mr Downes, who desired to withdraw, made a final offer of 15 per cent frpm Te Awamutu borough, with the object of a settlement. He considered Otorohanga should not be asked to contribute, and thought the proportions of 50 per cent from Raglan, 35 per cent from Waipa, and 15 per cent from Te Awamutu were' very equitable. . . .. ' After Te Awamutu representatives withdrew negotiations were continued - by the remaining interested parties,-.--until finally a common agreement Was ; reached, the Raglan representatives agreeing to contribute 47 per - cent and Waipa 38 per cent. It is recommended, therefore, by the representatives of the local authorities interested that the proportions of cost of maintenance and repair of the bridge be: Raglan county 47 per cent, Waipa county 38 per cent, and Te Awamutu borough 15 per cent. The Waipa county delegates suggested that Raglan County Council, being the principal contributing authority, should be nominated as the controlling authority.—This was agreed to by the Raglan representatives., - The Waipa county delegates to the conference were thanked by the. Council, after which the terms of the agreement were confirmed. At the Borough Council meeting last evening the agreement reached at the conference was also confirmed.