PUBLIC WORKS

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19100, 10 November 1933, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS

CAPITAL. EXPENDITURE.

£3,500,000 TO BE PROVIDED.

(Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Finance Minister in his Budget speech last evening stated that the capital expenditure on publio works for the year was estimated at £3,500,000. He stated:— In the past, expenditure on railways has been a prominent feature of the capital programme, but, with the completion of the line to connect Taranaki directly with the Main Trunk line and the cessation of work on other lines —for the time being at any rate —we have practically reached the end of railway construction. The vote of £25,700 set down for the current year Is for cleaning-up purposes only. So far as railway Improvements are concerned, the only major work now in hand is the Tawa Flat Deviation and the Wellington terminal facilities. On the deviation £1,312,000 has already been expended, and the estimated cost of completing It is £120,000, of which £70,000 Is . being provided this year. On the grounds 6f economy in working, cleanliness in tunnels, and general convenience, it has also been decided after careful investigation to adopt electric traction for the deviation to Tawa Flat and on to Paekakariki. The oapital cost involved In providing this is £277,000, of which £50,000 will be provided this financial year. The net vote' for Railways Improvements and Additions for the current year is £310,000. The Dunedin post office will cost abaut £300,000 to complete, of which £20,000 is provided this financial year. The total estimated expenditure for this year on publio buildings, apart from the Wellington railway station, is £196,000, including £75,000 on school buildings and £BO,OOO on mental hospitals, where the necessity for additional accommodation is urgent. For last year the total net expenditure amounted to £91.000.

In regards to roads and highways, provision has been made for an expenditure of £260,000 out of Main Highways Construction Fund for bridges and other essential works, while £445,000 is provided on the Public Works Fund vote. Further expenditure on roading is provided for out of the Main Highways Revenue Fund, the proposed vote of £1,000,000 including approximately £870,000 (an Increase of £IOO,OOO over last year’s expenditure) for maintenance work. Altogether provision is being made for an increase of £270,000 in roading expenditure. Another major item in the oapital programme is hydro-electric supply, for which £675,000 is provided on the estimates, being an increase of £310,000 over the amount expended last financial year. The completion of the Waitaki scheme will see the end of the major works at present contemplated, although extensions and other additional expenditure on all of the schemes will be necessary from time to time. For instance, £74,000 is being provided this year for various additions to Lake Coleridge, £45,500 for Mangahao-Waikaremoana schema, including £24,000 for lake control, and £102,500 for llorahora-Arapuni. The latter item is for power station extensions and a transmission line to Stratford. I may add that the remedial measures following the hold-up at Arapuni have been successfully completed at well below the estimated cost. The revenue received by the Public Works Department from hydroelectric schemes last year amounted to £864,630, and after providing for all expenses, including interest and ample depreciation, there was a small deficit of £1077. Then there is £230,000 for telephone exchanges and various additions and improvements in connection with the telegraph and toll systems. Irrigation works in Central Otago mostly on the Omakau dam and race will absorb £BO,OOO during this year, while for drainage-and other land improvement works it is estimated that £142,500 will be required. With assistance from the Unemployment Board it is anticipated that a considerable amount of useful ’work will be accomplished in the reclamation of valuable harbour flats in North Auckland, swamp drainage ,river diversion, stopbanking, and various other works. As may be seen from the estimates, various smaller amounts are set down for other votes. To summarise the position, I may say that the capital programme amounts in the aggregate to £3.500,000, broadly made up as follows: —

Public works, including provision for contingencies 2,590,000 Small farm plan ....... 500,000 Additional capital for land development 200,000 Native land development 135,000 Forestry .75,000