D.—l

Hina Hina Stream. Road (Clutha County).—On a length of 57 oh. of this roacl the formation has been widened to 14 ft., and on a length of 139 oh. metalling has been completed to a width of 9 ft. and a depth of 6 in. This completes the work, which was commenced during the previous year and closed down owing to bad weather conditions during the winter months. Blackstone Hill to Coal Pit. Road (Maniototo County).—By metalling 140 ch. of this road improved access has been provided to a local coal-pit and to a number of settlers. Ihe road is also used in conjunction with the Upper Maniototo Irrigation Scheme, and metalling has assisted the Department in the transport of materials, &c., for this work. Oturehua to Blackstone Hill (Maniototo County).—This road also serves a farming district, and the settlers will benefit considerably by the metalling of a length of 240 ch., which work was completed during the year. Kingston to Queenstown Road (Lake County) —The construction of this road was resumed irom the Kingston end during the year and good progress has been made. Formation has been practically completed to the Staircase Creek, a length of 7| m. A number of parties are now concentrated on a heavy rock section at the Staircase Bluff. Culverts have been constructed and a contract let for gravelling the completed formation. Approximately 1J m. of half-coat gravelling was also completed during the year. . Papanui Small Farm Settlement Access Roads (Peninsula County). —A camp was established during the year for roading and fencing this small-farm settlement. 118 ch. of road was formed 16 ft. wide and metalled at the rate of 11 cub. yd. per chain. In addition, some 90 acres of bush were felled and 540 ch. of boundary fences erected. Otakou to Harrington Point (Peninsula County)— The sea was eroding a section of this road where a break had been made in an old hand-packed stone wall. To make a satisfactory job, a wall, approximately 4| ch. long, had to be constructed, the materials used being stone from off the foreshore hand-packed and tied down to prevent displacement by wave action. Pukerangi Road (Taieri County).—A single men's camp was established at Pukerangi during the year to carry out extensive metalling work on this road. The gang had a personnel of thirty men and they accomplished the metalling of a length of 580 ch. during the financial period under review. Transport for men and materials was provided by the Taieri County Council. Dunrobin Road (Tuapeka County).—To improve access conditions for the settlers on this road a metalling programme was inaugurated early in the metalling season and 176 ch. of the road was surfaced with gravel to a width of 9 ft. and a depth of 6 in. An additional length of 110 ch. received a base-course of schist rock and surfaced with gravel, the latter at the rate of 5 cub. yd. per chain. Lake Onslow Road (Tuapeka County).—This gives access to some farming land and to the lake, after which the road is called. To provide reasonable access light formation on a length of approximately 10 m. was required, and this work was completed during the year. Hokonui School Road (Southland County) .—The gravelling of a section of 1 m. 10 ch. along this road gave all-weather access to a number of settlers who formerly had considerable difficulty m reaching a commercial centre during wet weather. Holtz Road (Southland County).—This is a new access road and provides an outlet to some good farm land. 2m. 10 ch. of the road was formed to a width of 18 ft., and this length is open to traffic. Mataura to Clinton Road (Southland County) .—25 ch. of formation over 18 ft. wide and 75 ch. of metalling was completed during the year. Key to Redcliffs Road (Wallace County) .—This road will eventually provide alternative access for the Southland district generally to the Cold Lakes district. In the meantime the provision of such alternative access is not particularly urgent, but improvements to the northern section of the road are essential, as on this section there are several settlers engaged m sheep-farming and who contribute heavily to the wool output of the district. By forming and metalling a length of 4m. m this area much improved access is now available for these settlers. . Pourakino Road (Wallace County).—This road serves several settlers who had much difficulty m the past in reaching their nearest commercial centre. To improve access facilities a metalling programme was commenced during the season, and by the end of the financial period under review 1 m. 35 c . of gravelled road was open for traffic. . Caroline to Josephville Road (Wallace County).—The construction of this road was put m hand during the year, registered unemployed workmen being engaged under the co-operative system. 57 ch. of formation 20 ft. wide was completed, and 70 ch. of formation 20 ft. wide, though not complete, is well forward. 605 lin. ft. of culverts were also placed. The work is still in hand, and when completed will give a shorter connection between Caroline and the Josephville Road. _ Te Anau to Milford Sound Road ( Wallace County) .—This work has been actively prosecuted during the year, an average of approximately two hundred men having been continuously employed on the co-operative contract system, with assistance from the Unemployment Board The following shows the works completed from the Ist July, 1934, to the 30th June, 1935, with the total works since the commencement shown in parentheses : — Formation 1 m. 32 ch. (55 m. 53 ch.). Gravelling . ■ • • • • .. Nil (54 m.). Culvertin" . • • • • .. 492 lin. ft. (15,399 lin. ft.). Bridges 182 lin - ft - (i' 67o lin " ft ')" Bushwork completed to . . •. .. 59 m. 5 ch. At the 30th June, 220 men were employed over a length of 3 m. 33 ch., a considerable portion of which was then near completion. It is anticipated that work on the Homer Tunnel will be commenced towards the end of September, and in the meantime the access track is being pushed onwards.

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