‘Appalling’ Roads
pp. 96-97 · Read in the full issue
Urges New System for ‘Appalling’ Roads
SPEAKING at the Legislative Council meeting in Port Moresby in May, the member for NG Islands, Mr. D. Barrett, said that he was appalled at the condi tion of Territory roads.
In New Britain alone, he said £40,000 was being spent annually on maintenance, and still the main arterial roads in the coastal area are in poor condition—frequently, planters coming to Rabaul on busi ness are unable to return to their homes if a small amount of rain has fallen in the meantime. In Kavieng, the East Coast road was
most impassable—in one instance, uen he visited there recently, it ok li hours for a four-wheel nicle to traverse 12 miles. Yet i.s road was the main outlet for ora—over 300 tons a month being [ipped from the CMB depot in •.ivieng.
The Commonwealth Department Works had been engaged on tat it called reconstruction of the 'w Ireland road for 14 months, ting which time 40 miles had been constructed. Of that, 20 miles had en in excellent condition before !3 Department commenced. All ifchanical equipment of the De ■:tment had been broken down in »w Ireland for eight months.
Ihe Regional Works Director in ’vieng had informed the District mmissioner that he was waiting spare parts; the Regional Works rector in Rabaul said the same mg; the Territory Works Director 0 said the same thing—they were waiting for parts.
Work on the Iwi-Kieta road in ugainville, continued Mr. Barrett, o appeared to be at a standstill vhy was not clear.
A.y. Barrett suggested a complete lew of the Administration’s icy in relation to roads. The ersion of as high a proportion as jsible of funds earmarked for ds to permanent construction of tie would greatly reduce annual intenance costs; and he believed it District Services should take t road maintenance from Works, is system was apparently work well in the Highlands—but for le reason it was not used at all in New Guinea Islands area. Main ance by Works, with the high t of running mechanical equip nt with European operators, was nifestly much more expensive n using native labour and native ck drivers.