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Opanaki-Hokianga Road. —This road will connect the North with the Dargaville Railway system, and open up 100,000 acres of Crown land, some of the best in the North, and which is now rapidly being taken up. During the year the survey of the road has been completed a distance of about thirty-two miles. About eight miles of road at the north end, and about six miles at the south end, have been formed 14ft. wide, the works being performed under the co-operative system. Hokianga County Roads. —These roads throughout are in bad repair. The road to the Heads is altogether in the wrong place, and no moneys should be expended on this till required deviations are made. The road to Taheke is very much out of repair, and ought to be metalled, especially through the bush near Waima. Waipoua. —This vote, raised under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, is being expended on the Opanaki-Hokianga Eoad. Mangonui-Bluff. —During the year this bridle-track has been put in good order. Maropui-Kai Iwi. —From Maropui to Kai Iwi, a distance of about five miles, nothing has been done beyond clearing a track. The £50 grant has been expended in making a few side-cuttings to give the settlers a road into Kai Iwi; the track, however, is in very bad order; there are some swamps to cross, and one bad gully. Ramarama Valley Road. —The work is now in hand and will be soon completed, but it is advisable that a further sum be granted, as the small amount available last year only admitted of the road being roughly formed. Motatau-Wairua Bridge and Road, raised, under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, has been expended in continuing the bridle-track between the Ramarama Valley and the Wairua Bridge Road. This road, when completed, will give direct connection between Hukerenui Village Settlement and Hikurangi, and has an advantage over the Great North Road, as it will be seldom, if ever, blocked by floods. Tenders were called for the work of construction, the contracts being in small sections, so as to give employment to as many of the surrounding settlers as possible. Tangihua. —About one half of vote for this road was spent in permanent metalling, the remainder was spent in thirty-two pipe-culverts, and deepening the water-tables. Purua-Ruatangata Mangakahia Road. —The expenditure on this road has really been carried out by the county, who had commenced operations before the authority came to hand. Mareretu Road is a bridle-track, and is now being constructed, and when completed will give a good outlet to the perpetual-lease settlers. Maunu. —The work done on this road is of superior quality, the vote having been spent in metalling with Sin. scoria metal, blinded with coarse river-gravel. Maungakaramea. —The greater part of this vote was expended in permanent metalling with scoria rock. Whangarei-Grahamstoivu (£300). —This was all spent on a new road, 10ft. wide, connecting Whangarei town with Whangarei Heads. Grahamstoion-Whareora (£150). —This is a new branch road, 10ft. wide, leading to Whareora, and will also be used as a road to Whangarei when the tide is in. Whangarei Heads (£100). —This was all spent on anew road, 12ft. wide, with a grade of 1 in 15, to avoid two very steep hills. Ruatangata to Railway-station. —This vote was spent on permanent metalling, with the necessary earthwork. Pahi-Waikiekie. --About 55 chains has been constructed in different places on this road, the width varying from 10ft. to 20ft. One bridge, 32ft. long, has been built, and six new culverts. Tokatoka-Mangapai Road opens up direct communication between Whangarei and Wairoa River. Before undertaking works on this road a re-survey had to be made, as deviations were necessary, and the areas of land taken from different sections by the deviations had to be ascertained. Works are now in progress for constructing a bridle-track, and tenders are called for a further section, on the completion of which (in about four months) the track will be available for traffic. Oruru-Mangamuka. —Repairs have been made extending over about eight miles of bridletrack. Matakohe-Tokatoka Road. —The moneys granted for this road are being expended in constructing into a cart-road the portion laid out some time ago under the supervision of the Otamatea County Council. Several deviations are yet required before a good road can be formed the whole distance. Otamatea County Roads. —The worst places on this road have been repaired between Mangawai and Tokatoka, extending over a distance of about forty-five miles. In places the road has been metalled from 14ft. to 18ft. wide, and sixteen new culverts have been put in, and thirteen lengthened. Bridge over Mangonui River. —This bridge has been erected on the Mangapai-Tokatoka Road, and consists of two spans of 20ft. and one span of 30ft., with high embankments, rendered necessary by the high floods in the river. Tokatoka Post-office Road. —Nothing has been done on this road beyond the preliminary survey to select the route, and finding out on what terms the owners of the various sections through which the road passes will grant the land required. Pakiri District Roads. —The vote granted under Loans to Local Bodies Act has been expended in constructing a road affording access to at least 1,500 acres of Crown land, since taken up, as well as to a similar area of homestead and freehold land. Tauhoa District Roads. —Under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, the money has been expended in opening up by a bridle-track 3,000 acres of Crown .lands, which have now been taken up. A small balance left of this vote is being expended in making a connection with the West Coast Road. Warkioorth-Atvanui. —Taking into consideration the fact that this is the Great North Road, it is in very bad order throughout. The chief thing required is metalling, and most of the money granted has been spent in this direction.
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