RANGITIKEI COUNTY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 277, 27 November 1935, Page 12

RANGITIKEI COUNTY

PROBLEM OF NOXIOUS WEEDS The Rangitikei County Council met on Tuesday. Present: Crs. K. "W. Dalrymple (chairman), W. Doole, F. Hammond, J. McHardy, J. Brice, H. A. Belk, R. G. Dalziell, and J. D. Lilburn. Leave of absence was granted Cr. A. Stuart. Correspondence was received and dealt with*as follows: Public Works Department, re the reconstruction of the Mangaweka-Utiku section of the Te Kuiti-Bulls Main Highway and loan of £2OOO for the cnucil’s share of the cost.—Received. Main. Highways Board, forwarding authority for £3OOO on account of Main Highways subsidy for reconstruction of Turakina-Cliff Road. Valuer-General, setting forth requirements of the Act re application for 124 per cent, rebate subsidy on rates. Commissioner of Transport, re appointment of Mr. IL J. Fowler as inspector under the Transport Licensing Act. , . Taihape Borough Council, re control of noxious weeds in the Taihape Borough, and advising that plants declared noxious weeds in the county will be so declared in the borough.—Received. .Moawhango Rabbit Board, releasing Mr. J. Robinson from his engagement with the board in order that he may take up his appointment with the council. Oroua County Council, agreeing to this council’s suggestions regarding protection works, etc., at Onepuhi. Hunterville Town Board, re Porewa Bridge, High Street, Hunterville, and advising that the board will proceed to obtain a warrant under section 135 of the Public Works Act. 1928. Public Works Department, advising that it will be necessary for the Town Board to obtain a warrant but that the two months’ period of notice can be waived if local bodies agree on all points. Public Trustee re purchase by late D. J. Crabb’s Estate of Rose metal pit from the council. Flock House Trustees, asking that gates bo removed from off the McKenzie Road.' L. J. Thompson, setting forth terms upon which the owners are prepared to sell land to tho council for proposed road deviation at Rata. The matter was referred to the subcommittee for further negotiation. K. O. Dalrymple (Bulls) and If. A. Belk (Taihape), applying for private telephone concessions, which were granted on the usual conditions.

The dog tax was fixed along the usual lines, and Messrs. R. Dukeson and G. A. Watt (Hunterville), and John McDonald and John Robinson (Taihape) were appointed dog tax collected, Finance. The financial statement showed that the council’s debit balance after last meeting was £4lOB 15s 4d. Payments during month and to w -day were £7643 10s, and receipts £1844 8s sd, leaving a debit balance of £9907 14s lid. ENGINEER’S REPORT ON ROAD WORK The following report was presented by Air. 8. A. Mair, at the monthly meeting of the Rangitikei County Council on Tuesday:— Rangitoto Riding. Metal repairs have been carried out on Parawanui and Brandon Hall Roads. Young trees in the protective plantation at Bulls Bridge have been cleaned around. Rabbitn are still giving a gc-od deal of trouble in the plantation, though regular work in fumigating the burrows is being carried out. Otakapu Riding.—Wangaehu Valley Road North has oecn trimmed with grader and a new 9-inch pipe culvert put in near Hodges. Metal repairs have been carried out on Katana Road and on. Turakina Beach Road. About seven c-hains have been metalled near the sandhills towards Kotiata Township. Porewa Riding.—Metal repairs have been carried out on Calico and Onepuhi Roads. Corner at junction of "Warren and Mt. Curl Roads is being widened and banked. Upper Tutaenui Read has been trimmed with grader. Kakariki chips have been spread where necessary. Wangae-hu Riding. Maintenance work this month has been mainly confined to clearing slips, and repairing washouts. There is still a considerable amount of this work yet to be done before the roads aro properly restored. As well as damage to formation a large quantity of shellrock has been washed away by the recent floods. An old culvert on Whareroa Road has been replaced with cc-ncrete pipes, and metal repairs aro in hand on this road. Fencing material for Taurimu Road has come to hand and the contractors have made a good start with the work. Plans have been prepared and forwarded to the Public Works Department for tho renewal of bridge over the Omaha Stream, Turakina Valley Road. Rangitira Riding— Putori no Roads have been trimined up and repaired. Recent rams did considerable damage to metal on Alt. Curl Road. Repairs are in hand. Small bridges on Leeds-tc-wn Road at Maungaraupi arc being renewed with large culverts. Otairi Riding.—Afetal repairs have been in hand on Bailey’s Flat. P.W.D. have recommenced metalling on "Watershed Road. Poukiore Roads have been trimmed with power grader. Slips have been cleared off Watershed Road and Huatawa Cutting near Otairi. Proposals have been prepared and forwarded to the Public Works Department for metalling Haumakariri Road. Awarua Riding.—Totman’s Clift, Makopua Road, is being widened. Metal repairs have been carried out on Alakopua, Inland, Tuhoe, Toe Toe and Torere Reads. Corners are being widened on Inland Road. All slips have been cleared off. Good progress is being made erecting roadman’s cottage at Taoroa. Te Kapua Riding.—Heavy slips and washouts occurred on the roads in the Upper Turakina Valley early in the month. All the roads are now open but much work remains to be done to put. them in good order. ATetal repairs have been in hand on Rongoiti Road. Corners have been widened on Namunui and Otaihape Valley Roads. During the last six weeks the men have only been able to do five days’ carting burnt papa metal on Alangaweka-Te Kapua Road, so there is still a good deal of work to- do. The gang have been nearly all their time clearing slips. Erewhon Riding.—Breaking down rough shelirock at Fukeokahu has

been completed. W’et weather has decayed a start being made with trimming and metalling Taihape-Napier Road. Practically all contributions have been paid and the council’s share paid to the Public Works Department. A flying inspection was made with Cr. Doole and Air. A. Anderson of the proposed road from the Waiouru-Tokaanu Road to the Aloawhrango River to the east. A good stock track could be constructed at smai» cost, but a vehicle road on standard grades would be extremely costly. 1 understand Air. Anderson intends to interview the council and will probably have other proposals for your consideration. Ruanui Riding. —Metal repairs have been carried out on roads around Alataroa. Wilson Road to Bald Hill has been repaired. All slips have been cleared and flood damage repaired. Main Highways Works. Bulls-Te Kuiti Alain Highway.-. The contractors for reconstruction from Bulls to Greatford have been delayed by bad weather from completing work iu the Alanawatu County, bui have now commenced their job on the above highway. Proposals have been prepared and forwarded to the Mam Highways Board for .10 chains of surfacing on the main highway ac Ohingaiti Township. Arrangements have been completed for the council’s contribution to the Alangaweka-Utiku reconstruction, and the Public Works Department propose to make a start at an early date. Engineering surveys have been made and proposals arc in hand for a new alignment of highway and new bridge at Turangarere. Taihapo-Alataroa Highway. —A survey has been made of a small deviation over the Namunui Stream, where it is proposed to construct a* tunnel to replace the old bridge. Auckland-" Wellington Main Highway. —Proposals have been prepared and forwarded to the Public Works Department for completion of surfacing at Glasgow’s Cutting. Crushing Plants. Kakariki.—The plant has been kept busy as the ballast train has recommenced running to the south. I. he plant is all in good order. Protective works recently carried out have stood several severe floods satisfactorily. The pipeworks are fully employed keeping up stocks. Utiku—This plant has worked continuously during the month supplying road metal and concrete shingle for a bridge in Mangawcka Township. County Offices. Plans are now complete for the council’s approval and direction. Noxious Weeds. "Air. John Dickie reported that he had m-ade the second inspection of new area and is pleased to stato that good work is going on. Several patches of hemlock and foxglove had been grubbed and ragwort plants bad been pulled cut. Blackberry. Some obi established‘clumps had been cut aim would bo burned when weather pnmitted. Variegated Thistle.—ln the nadly affected areas grubbing and cut ting was in progress. On the proper lies where there were only a few scattered thistles, he had instructed owners to clean thorn up over the whole place, lie regretted to report that some land-owners were not doing enough work. He had warned them that drastic action would be taken it they did not comply with the instructions issued. Some farmers did not think that they were responsible for weeds on the roads, however, be had made that point clear. Weeds on the area controlled by bin. in the Hunterville Babbit Board’s district were receiving attention. Bagwort had been pulled or sprayed. Foxglove and hemlock were also being sprayed -with sodium chlorate with good results. The following suggestions were made:— _ » (1) That the General Alanager of Railways be written to, drawing Ins attention to the noxious weeds on railway lines, yards and land held by the department. The line through my new area is very bad and also the yards, in fact there are patches ot thistles in the Marton yards. (2) That the Marton Borough Council’s attention bo drawn to the weeds along all boundaries, especially the Tutaenui Stream. It was not much use making owners of land on one side of the stream get rid of weeds if there were nothing done on the other side. Mr. Robinson reported as follows: “Having completed a tour of tho lour northern ridings, I have now commenced a round of general aspection. Sweet briar is now plentiful along the Moawhango-Napier and Main North roads and also around Opaea and the Mataroa and Turakina Valiev Roads. The northern section ol the Turakina Palloy Road is badly infested with hemlock, apart from here this weed is mostly confined to town sections, woolsheds and sheep yards. Work has now commenced m the Moawhango Rabbit Board area, to the eradication of sweet briar, hemlock and blackberry. The Moawhango river banks and pa are badly infested Verbal and written notices are now being forwarded to all owners in the above districts who have weeds