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At Portland Island improvements have been made to the water-supply and landing facilities. The channel and swinging basin have been excavated, and a jetty constructed on the mainland for the launch servicing the island. At Manakau Heads the new concrete lighthouse has been completed. Proposals have been made for the repair of the wharf built by the Department at Westhaven Collingwood County. COAL PRODUCTION As a new venture the Department has been involved to a greater or lesser degree in the production of coal from opencast mines at Glen Afton, Glen Massey, Waitewhenua, Stockton, and Ohai. The work carried out has included opening up the sites ; access roading ; stripping coal-bearing areas ; quarrying coal; provision of plant to Mines Department and contractors ; construction of camps, screens, bins, conveyors, and loaders ; and general supervision. At Glen Afton '222,600 cubic yards of excavation has been carried out, of which 79,600 cubic yards has been done this year for the production of 18,210 tons of coal, of which 12,210 tons represents this year's output. At Glen Massey 330,260 cubic yards have been stripped for the production of 6,875 tons. At Waitewhenua 81,357 cubic yards have been stripped for 20,000 tons of coal produced. The work generally has been made difficult by bad climate conditions and heavy rain. DEFENCE WORKS Generally, the work covered under this heading has comprised the completion of works so far advanced as to warrant this course, the making safe of works which it has not been deemed necessary at this stage to complete, and general maintenance of existing works. Some new works necessary to complete a particular scheme have also been undertaken, notably for the Navy Department, where major items have been involved. Restoration work made necessary by the removal of various defence structures has been carried out, and demolition of other works is well advanced. Camps have been maintained and minor improvements made and essential services extended. Many camps have been handed over to the War Assets Realization Board for disposal, and this has necessitated the assistance of the Stores staff in regard to valuation and disposal. An internees' camp was converted for the use of Polish children evacuated to this country, and alternative accommodation provided for the previous users of the camp. Work from now on should be confined mostly to maintenance, disposal, and restoration. HOUSING SERVICES CONSTRUCTION Construction work, chiefly in the nature of levelling areas, installing services, and forming roads and footpaths, has been continued during the year for the Housing Department. This work has been done principally in the main centres of Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Some idea of the amount of work in levelling and clearing done can be gauged from such a generally level district as Christchurch, where, in connection with the development of seven blocks, 21,500 cubic yards were excavated. Owing to the large building scheme under construction in the Hutt Valley, a considerable amount of work has been done in this area, and some of the more outstanding figures are given : area of land cleared, 517 acres, with 14 miles of roads formed and metalled and 46,850 square yards of sealing. There have been, in addition, 13,500 square yards of concrete footpath laid, with 1,141 chains of kerb and channelling. Storm-water sewers from 6 in. to 54 in. total 21,000 ft., with the corresponding figure for sanitary sewers, 49,000 ft. Water-supply to the area has resulted in 58,000 ft. of piping from f in. to 6 in. being laid. Miscellaneous work has included the construction of a bridge, stop-bank construction, top-soiling of various areas, and the general maintenance of services constructed to date. The Auckland figures, although on a somewhat smaller scale, are comparable : 32,000 cubic yards of material have been excavated, 12,000 cubic yards of metal used in road construction, and 17,500 gallons of bitumen and tar used in sealing work. PLANT AND MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT The demobilization of the home-defence units and the withdrawal of most of the New Zealand Military Forces from the Pacific, has led to the release of a fairly large quantity of assorted Public Works Department plant which has been on loan to the Armed Forces. The limitations imposed by the war on major activities of this branch have not been greatly relaxed during the year, however, but it is anticipated that from now on the increase in the demand for plant and mechanical appliances generally will show a marked increase. Most of the plant returned from the Armed Forces and generally comprising motor-vehicles, tractors, and earth-moving equipment has been in need of either complete or partial overhaul, and this work has overloaded the capacity of the departmental workshops, the staff of which has largely been depleted by the demands of the Armed Forces. In consequence of this transfer of vehicles no new vehicles have been purchased. The present equipment in use numbers approximately 7,000 items, ranging in value from £50 to £25,000, and the depreciated value totals £1,071,000. In order to procure new construction equipment and machine tools for the Department's new workshops, and to enable an up-to-date study of the latest application of mechanical equipment to construction works, arrangements were made for the Chief Mechanical Engineer to proceed to America in August, 1944. As a result two large tower excavators were among the machines purchased, these being primarily for use in river-improvement works, where very large earth-work quantities are involved. Already many of the machines purchased have arrived in New Zealand, and these will materially assist in the execution of many of the priority works now in hand.

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