COST OF SCHEME

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21085, 11 April 1940, Page 9

COST OF SCHEME

£323 LESS THAN ESTIMATE £44,019 ALREADY EXPENDED FIGURES BEFORE COUNCIL The costs involved in the removal of Garden Place Hill up to March 31, 1940, were tabled by the borough engineer, Mr R. Worley, and the report disclosed that £44,019 18s lid had been expended up to that date. The estimated cost of completing the work was £6500 and with the estimated cost of moving and renovating the remaining house at £SOO, the total gross cost would be £51,019 18s lid. Credits, amounting to £4925 9s lOd had to be deducted, making the net cost to the special rating area £46,094 9s Id, or £323 less than the engineer’s estimate of October 2, 1939.

Mr Worley added that it might definitely be stated that if the land which the council had available for disposal realised the value placed on it by Messrs. Boyes and Smith, the council’s valuers, the proceeds would considerably exceed that figure. In addition the net revenue from the houses which had been moved and renovated produced nearly £6OO per annum, and the council would have some 20 good residential sections reclaimed from the Palmerston Gully and the Frog Pond, which when leased, should produce a minimum of £2OO per annum. As advised by Messrs. Boyes and Smith in their report to the council dated September 4, 1939, the net effect of the settlements made by them would definitely result in there being no liability on the special area in this respect. The Costs Itemised The Itemised costs were: Office, overhead and tools, £674 6s 2d; removing trees, fences and undergrowth from the hill area, £554 12s Id; keeping the streets clean from clay spilt by transport, £1358 9s 9d; shifting the various houses to new sites, £1558 3s 9d; renovating the houses throughout, construction of paths and driveways and planting hedges, etc., £4624 10s 9d; contract payment to Grinter Bros, for removing spoil, £25,415 15s 9d; cost of carting spoil by Borough transport, £3090 8s sd; cost of piping Palmerston Gully and Frog Pond and the construction of sewers and stormwater drains in the Garden Place area, £3669 8s 3d; kerbing and channelling the streets and formation and kerbing of the garden plots separating the parking area, £683 5s 6d; cost of road and footpath constructions to date, £2390 18s 6d; total cost to date, £44,019 18s lid. The estimated cost of completing the works is £6500; the estimated cost of moving and renovating the final house is £500; the total all-incost will therefore be £51,019 18s lid. The following credits have, however, to be deducted from this figure to obtain the net cost: Sale of spoil and stone to private individuals, £1855 9s lOd; Domain Board payment for extending piping below Paimerston Street, £220; general account to cover excess cost of carting spoil to Richmond Street area, Norton Road sandpit, Hillsborough Terrace, Home Street and Domain Drive—works not included in the special area commitments, £1300; Rugby Union for spoil, about £750; Railway Department, for spoil, about £600; Domain Board for spoil, about £200; total credits, £4925 9s lOd. WINTER SHOW REQUEST COUNCIL NOT TO SELL It was decided to advise the Waikato Winter Show Association that the council was not prepared to dispose of any of the land available for sale until it had first been offered for auction. It was also decided to advise the citizens’ committee that in the first instance only the lands to the east of the extension of Alexandra Street were being offered for sale and the question of disposing of the balance would be considered later.