1928.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

MAIN ROADS BOARD

SECOND ANNUAL REPORT

FOR

Period ending 30th June, 1927.

Printed under No. 1 Report from Printing Committee, 26 Airily 1928.

SYDNEY:

ALFRED JAMES KENT, GOVERNMENT PRINTER,

1928. *4677l 36—a [3*. 9rf.] "PART V.—MISCELLANEOUS—continued.

Standard Specifications Standard Drawings ... ..'. ... : Bulletins Bridges ... Standard Loading for Highway Bridges Motor Registration and Taxes Manufacture of Road Rollers in New South Wales Industrial matters Cost of1Administration Delay in appointing Staff Scheme of Organisation Audit Acknowledgments

PART VI.—APPENDICES— Income and Expenditure Accounts and Balance Sheets MAIN ROADS BOARD OF NEW SOUTH WALES

SECOND ANNUAL REPORT.

CONTENTS. PAGE

PART I.—PRELIMINARY ...... - - - - 1

PART II.—COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND MAIN ROADS FUND— Finance ...... 2 Liabilities inherited ...... ' ...... ••• 3 Balance of funds ...... ;...... ••• 5 Construction works instituted in accordance with policy of filling in missing links fi- Summary of work done and expenditure incurred on Arterial, Main and Secondary Highways ... 9- Lengths of New Construction carried out ...... 10 Maintenance by Councils 11 Maintenance by Board :...... ••• 12' Digging up of Main Roads ...... ••• 13 Loans by Councils for the construction of Main and Secondary Roads 14 Proclamation of New Main Roads 15 Declaration of Secondary Roads ...... ••• 15 Widening of Main Roads ...... 16

PART III.—COUNTRY MAIN ROADS FUND— Finance ...... 19' • Subsidies to and contributions by Councils ...... 20 Works carried out by Board ...... ••• 21 Gross expenditure and commitments ...... 21- Major works undertaken ...... 21 Great Northern Highway ...... 21 Great Western Highway ...... 23 Great Southern Highway ...... 23 The Prince's Highway ...... 24 The North Coast Highway 26 Various Country Main Road works ...... -•• --• 26• Vehicular Ferries on Main Roads ...... 29 • Proclamation of New Main Roads ...... 30•• Statistics ...... 30

PART IV.—DEVELOPMENTAL ROADS FUND— Finance ...... 30 Important works undertaken ...... 32 Strong construction adopted ...... 33

PART V.—MISCELLANEOUS— Summary of works and expenditure under the three funds > ... 33 Federal Aid Roads Agreement ...... • ...... 34 Trend of road design and policy abroad ...... 35 Disposition of Public Utilities ...... 36 Problem of tram tracks in Main Roads ...... 39 Mutual adjustment of road and railway construction ...... 42 Railway Level Crossings 44 MAIN ROADS ACT, 1924.

MAIN ROADS BOARD OF NEW SOUTH WALES.

SECOND ANNUAL REPORT, 1927. (FOR PERIOD 1ST JULY, 1926, TO 30TH JUNE, 1927.)

The Honorable the Minister, for Local Government;, Sydney. In accordance with the provisions of Section six (6) of the Main Roads Act, No. 24, 1924, the Main Roads Board of New South Wales has the honour to submit its second annual Report for presentation to Parliament through the Minister. The report covers the period from 1st July, 1926, to 30th June, 1927, though a few matters referred to are carried beyond the latter date for convenience and completeness of record. PART I—PRELIMINARY.

FORMATION OP BOARD. An account of the formation of the Board, and of its composition was given in the First Annual Report, together with an outline of the financial scheme of the Act.

CHANGE OF MINISTERS. During the year the Hon. J. M. Baddeley, Minister for Labour and Industry, under whom the Main Roads Act, 1924, was placed by proclamation under the Constitution Act, left upon a visit abroad and the Hon. George Cann became the Acting Minister for Labour and Industry for the period from 8th March, 1927, to 27th May, 1927, being succeeded by the Hon. R, W. Cruickshank, M.L.C., from 27th May, 1927, until the 19th September, 1927, when the Hon. J. M. Baddeley again assumed charge. As the result of a General Election on 8th October 1927, the Government led by the Hon. J. T. Lang was succeeded by the present Government under the Hon. T. R. Bavin, and the administration of the Main Roads Act was transferred from the Minister for Labour and Industry to the Minister for Local Government on the 25th October, 1927, and Lieut.-Col. the Hon. M. F. Bruxner then became the responsible Minister.

CHANGE OF FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS BY AMENDMENT OF ACT. , 3»o, \ 2. A 9,24*. During the year Parliament passed the Finance (Taxation Management) Act, 1926, which made a radical change in the Main Roads Act finances. Because the Board had a large bank balance, the Government" appeared to take the view that the Act provided the.Board with more money than it could utilise (not­ withstanding that, as shown by the last Annual Report, works were in hand and commitments entered into to absorb the whole of the available funds). The Government, therefore, introduced into Parliament, and both Houses passed, a Bill to alter the cardinal principle of the Main Roads Act, 1924, which was that the two Main Roads Funds (Metropolitan and Country) should receive the whole of the motor taxations* The new principle introduced was that the County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund should receive only the sum of £106,155 per year out of the Motor Taxation and £6,300 from Metropolitan Traffic Act fees; and that the Country Main Roads Fund should receive only the sum of £452,382 per year from the Motor Taxation Revenue. The remainder, whatever its amount, was to stay in the ordinary Treasury chest (The Consolidated Revenue Fund). The amounts above specified were adopted because they were the amounts of the preliminary estimates of what the motor taxes &c. would be likely to yield, prepared and laid before Parliament in 1924 when Parliament was considering whether or not to adopt the Main Roads Act and its system of finance. The idea upon which the amending measure was framed was therefore, apparently, that the Main Roads Funds should receive only sums equal to the amount which it had been, estimated in the year 1924 that motor taxation would yield in 1925, while the Treasury should be entitled to any sum in excess of that estimate, i.e. the whole of the increase of motor taxation due to the growth in the number of cars. It is desired to submit to Parliament, that the great increase in the number of motor vehicles must increase correspondingly the wear on the roads and render necessary a corresponding increase in the amount of money needed for road maintenance. Further, the large increase in the number of vehicles makes it essential to increase correspondingly the length of reconstructed roads avaitable for them to run upon, -: so that it is_ necessary that there should be a corresponding increase in the money available for construction; and, finally, the great increase in the number of vehicles, and in the speed of traffic, is making it imperative that there shall be prompt measures taken to increase the width of roads, to reduce steep gradients, and still more important, to cut out sharp bends. In a few words, both for public safety and for public service, it is urgent that the funds available for Main Roads be increased wherever possible and that they be not reduced.

* Less. 10 per cent, for cost of collection. *46771—A Though it reduced the two Main Roads Funds, the Government utilised a portion of the amount thus taken to provide £138,000 from revenue for Developmental Roads to compensate for the fact that, by not accepting the Federal Aid Scheme at the first opportunity, the Developmental Roads Funds would be less by that amount than in the previous year. The amount collected in motor taxes, traffic fees, &c, from 1st July, 1926, to 30th July, 1927, was £1,264,767. Deducting 10 per cent., the balance which would have been payable into the Main Roads Funds if the Act had not been altered, would have been £1,138,290, whereas the amount actually received under the amended law was £564,837 for Main Roads, or £573,453 less.j But an additional £138,000 was voted for Developmental Roads, as already stated. This large reduction of the Main Roads Funds necessarily had a profound effect on the Board's activities. The Act provides, in section 24, that in dealing with Country Main Roads which are entirely under the control of Local Councils, the Board shall assist the Councils financially by providing not less than one-half the cost of authorised works, but the Board is empowered to give more, if it can and if it sees fit. For the first year, the fifty-fifty principle was adopted, pending the gaining of experience. In the light of this experience, the Board, relying on the growth of motor revenue, decided to raise the ratio of assistance to be granted to Country Councils in 1927 to £2 to £1 (or one hundred to fifty) on the Great Arterial Highways and £1 10s. to £1 {or seventy-five to fifty) on the other main roads. This course, it was found, had a very heartening effect upon the Councils, which showed a greater readiness to co-operate in the work of improving the Main Roads and raising the standard of maintenance and construction. But the alteration of the Main Roads Act finances has had the effect that the Board has not been able to afford to Councils all the assistance which they applied for and.could have utilised under this seventy-five to fifty offer. The Board has met, or is meeting, all programmes of maintenance work on Country Main Roads on the seventy-five to fifty basis; but it has been unable to grant assistance to a number of important construction proposals and programmes submitted for 1927, because, primarily, of the reduction in the revenue of the Country Main Roads Fund. In the County of Cumberland, also, the effect was to delay the carrying out of a number of improve­ ments which the Board would have liked to have effected'—particularly further reconstruction and widening on the Parramatta-road. Though Parliament reduced the proportion of motor taxation allotted to Main Roads, the Lang Government has.(since 30th June, 1927) made available to the Board additional moneys over and above the reduced statutory revenues. But these moneys have been definitely provided for the purpose of carrying out large works to absorb the unemployed and for the inauguration of work under the Federal Aid scheme; and they, therefore, have not been available for the Board to apply in assisting the Councils in their reconstruction programmes.

PART II—COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND MAIN ROADS FUND.

REVENUE. The following is a statement of the moneys received by the Board for the County of Cumberland for the period from the 1st July, 1926, to 30th June, 1927, a total of twelve months, together with a comparison with previous return*:—

Previous Period,* Source. vide Balance Sheet This Year. Increase. Decrease. page 51.

Revenue— £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Share of motor taxes, fees and fines; and fees for public vehicles, &e., in accordance with section 10 (2) and (3) of Main Roads Act, 1924 • 353,323 19 11 112,453 0 0 240,870 19 11 Requisition upon City of Sydney at 3d. in £ on unim­ proved capital value in accordance with section 11 of Main Roads Act, 1924 -. 69,355 4 3 46,327 18 10 23,027 5 5 Requisition upon Suburban Councils at £d. in £ on un­ improved capital value (less deduction of id. on primary production lands) in accordance with section 11 of Main Roads Act, 1924 298,810 10 2 215,730 2 8 83,080 7 6 Consolidated Revenue Vote (Parliamentary Appropria­ tion), section 10, Main Roads Act, 1924 29,835 5 3 25,000 0 0 4,835 5 3 Unemployed Relief Grant ! 5,000 0 0 5,000 0 0 Miscellaneous receipts 1,949 13 2 8,815 3 3 6,865 10 1

Total Revenue 753,274 12 9 413,326 4 9 11,865 10 1 351,813 18 1

Ztoans— Parliamentary Appropriation, section 10, Main Roads Act, 1924 300,000 0 0 211,216 4 1 34,783 15 11 Special appropriation for unemployed relief works ... 54,000 0 0 Raised by Councils under section 181 (c), Local Government Act 38,282 8 0 38,282 8 0

Total Loans 300,000 0 0 303,498 12 1 38,282 S 0 34,783 15 11 I Other— Commonwealth Government Vote for strengthening I and reconditioning Main Roads, section 10, Main ! Roads Act, 1924 68,000 0 0 i,000 0 0

| Gro3s Total 1,121,274 12 9 716,824 16 10 50,147 18 1 454,597 14 0 Net Decrease 404,449 15 11

* This column covered more than twelve months, vide last year's report. t Since the passing of the Main Koads (Amendment) Act, 1927, by the present Government an amount of £94,138 representing motor taxation for the month of June, 1927, which stood to the credit of the Main Roads Account in the Treasury books has been paid io the Board. This amount is included in the sum of £573,453.

i 3

EXPENDITURE. The following is a return, of the Expenditure from the County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund for the period from 1st July, 1926, to 30th June, 1927 :—

Commitments for Total Expenditure Head of Expenditure. Amount paid out. Works in progress. and Commitments.

Road Construction—By Councils and Board under section 15, Main s. d. Roads Act, 1924— 0" r<7 Resumptions for road purposes '. 21,287 3 96,000 0 0 117,287 3 1 L Construction from Revenue 140,053 16 181,025 5 10 321,079 2 3 Construction from Loans 411,436 14 104,676 14 5' 516,113 8 11 Surveys, designs and supervision 22,255 0 22,255 0 8 Adjustment of Public Utility Services 33,532 11 53,769 0 0 87,301 11 8 Commonwealth Government works, reconditioning andstrength- ening Main Roads 19,405 15 0 19,405 15 0 Road Maintenance— Maintenance of Main Roads and bridges 205,839 14 4 49,586 15 3 255,426 9 7 Repayment of Loans— Payments to Treasury under section 13 (J, 2 and 4), Main Roads Act, 1924 19,192 17 0 19,192 17 0 Payments to Councils under section 13 (5) Main Roads Act, 1924... 67,790 11 6 67,790 11 6 Payments to Councils under section 15 Main Roads Act, 1924, and section 181 (c) of Local Government Act 3,165 18 7 3,165 18 7 Purchase of Assets (less depreciation)— Office furniture and fittings, survey and engineering instruments, depot buildings, land, stores and materials, &c 44,189 11 9 44,189 11 9 Administrative expenses .15,658 4 4 15.658 4 4 Miscellaneous grants to Councils 7,532 10 10 267 13 0 7,800 3 10 Granville Depot expenses 2,436 1 11 2,436 1 11 Miscellaneous payments 136 13 6 136 13 6

Gross Total 1,013,913 5 1 485,325 8 6 1,499,238 13 7

The proportions of the expenditure which have been charged to Revenue and to Loans are as follows Expenditure. £ Percentage of Total. Revenue 602,476 59-42 per cent. - Loans 411,437 40-58 „ Total £1,013,913 100-00

LIABILITIES INHERITED. In the three years immediately before the Board came into existence, both the Government and some of the Councils had been active in carrying out the reconstruction of some of the more important of the main roads in the Metropolitan area. When the Bill, which is now the Main Roads Act, was being prepared and during its passage through Parliament, various Councils made representations that, if the Bill placed upon the Councils the duty of subscribing to the County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund up to Jd. in the £ on the unimproved capital value of the ratable land in the Municipalities, then those Councils which had undertaken large expenditures, either from Loan or from Revenue for the reconstruction of main roads, should receive some subsidy from the Board for the purpose of enabling them to meet their annual instalments of interest and principal in connection with the repayment of loans expended upon main road works, or to meet the annual payment due to the Treasury for the Councils' shares of the work carried out by the Government, or to recoup to the Councils the cost of new construction on main roads paid by the Councils out of revenue within the last three years. Provision for this to be done was incorporated in the Act and is dealt with under Section 13. The results of this provision now follow. Liabilities of fiouncils to Treasury taken over by the Board.-—A further sum of £8,203 10s. 6d. has been accepted during the year as a liability under Section 13 (Sub-Section 1) of the Act. The total liability has thus been increased from £53,187 18s. lid. to £61,391 9s. 5d. and this sum must be paid within 15 years from 1st January, 1925, with interest at the rate of 5 J per cent, per annum. The liability represents debts due to the Treasury by Councils in the County of Cumberland for the Councils' shares of the cost of the works carried out by the Government upon main roads in the period before the formation of the Board. Up to the 30th June 1927, the Board had reduced the liability by £5,702 15s. 9d. and £6,305 0s. lid. in addition had been paid in interest. There are a number of cases of this character, however, in respect of which the Treasury has not yet finalised its claims, so that in future reports it may be found that the Board's liability under this heading is still further increased. Liabilities on Account of Governmental Expenditure taken over by the Board.—By the provisions of Subsection 2 of Section 13, the Board has to take over the liability on account of one-half of the expenditure incurred on main roads construction by the Government from General Loan Account and Public Works Fund during the years 1920-21 to 1924-25 inclusive. The total liability so far taken over is £245,844 13s. 5d. which sum has to be repaid to the Treasury in fifteen years together with interest at 5$ per cent. The amount which the Board had paid off this debt to 30th June 1927 was £22,424 15s. 8d. and £27,484 14s. 7d. had been paid for interest. By Section 52 (1) of the Act, it was proposed that the Board should be provided with funds to meet the promises of assistance to Councils made by the Minister for Local Government in the time intervening between the beginning of the financial year 1924-25 and the commencement of the Act and that the liabilities thus incurred should be transferred to the Board. It was, however, found inexpedient to transfer portion of this money and an amendment of the Act has been drafted (for inclusion in a Bill for Parliament) with the object of exempting the Board-from liability for the portion not transferred. This proposed amendment will affect the amount which should be debited in respect of expenditure during thi financial year 1924-25 and for that reason the County of Camberland fund has only been charged on ths basis of expenditure daring the financial years 1920-21 to 1923-24 inclusive. The debits for 1924-25 are being held in suspense by the Treasury pending such amendment. Liabilities of Councils for Loans and Time-payment Agreements taken over by the Board.—Under Section 13-5 (a), the Board is empowered to subsidise Councils in respect of the amount to be repaid as from 1st January 1925 on loans which Councils had borrowed and expended upon main road construction prior to the formation of the Board. The Board has dealt with twenty-one applications under this sub­ section and has assumed a total liability of £180,921 5s. 6d. This liability has been reduced by £39,293 14s. lid. by payments made up to 30fch June 1927, the unpaid balance thus being £141,627 10s. 7d. In addition £21,578 lis. 7d. had been paid out in interest to that date. Councils' Loans- raised but not spent—Authority given to go on with Works.-—At the time of the commencement of the Act, several Councils had raised loans for main road construction but had not completed the works. They were, therefore, holding loan money ready for expenditure. In Section 13-5 (b) of the Act, it is provided that in such cases the Board may, on receiving representations by the Council, approve of the continuation of the work, with such alteration, if any, as may be necessary to bring it up to the standard desired by the Board. The Council may then apply to the Board for an annual subsidy to enable it to pay the interest and principal on the loan. Under this section, approval has been given to the following works:—•

TABLE UNDER SECTION 13-5 (b). Payments by Board to 30th Expenditure from June, 1927- Balance of Council. Work. Loan Funds. Principal a • Principal. Interesi •30th June, 19

£ P. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ S. d. Canterbury Construction M.R. 167—Canterbury- 1,275 12 3 58 3 3 144 12 0 1,217 9 0 road, between Rose-street and Punch­ bowl-road,

>» Construction M.R. 167—Canterbury- 2,439 0 0 132 14 8 203 15 10 2,306 5 4 road, between Garnett-street and Hurlstone Park Tram Terminus. Parramatta Construction M.R. 155—Church-street, 7,525 3 8 230 17 0 895 14 7 7,294 6 8 between Albert-street and Barry-st. »» Construction M.R. 165—Pennant-street, 5,328 13 8 84 4 3 590 11 10 5,244 9 5 between Church-street and Short's Corner. Woollahra Construction M.R. 173—New South 67,925 13 9 8,720 0 0 59,205 13 9 Head road, between City Boundary and Lyne Park. Construction M.R. 173—New South 14,000 0 0 2,369 0 0 11,631 0 0 Head road, between Cross-street and William-street and Rose Bay Park and Lyne-street. Lane Cove Construction M.R. 165B, between Lane 3,549 14 3 3,549 14 3 Cove road and Burns Bay road. £ 102,043 17 7 11,594 19 2 1,834 14 3 90,448 18 6

Expenditure from Revenue—Subsidies granted.—Under Sub-section 13-5 (c) of the Act, a number of councils submitted claims for subsidy in respect' of main road reconstruction carried out by them from Revenue within the three years immediately preceding the commencement of the Act, The following subsidies have been granted :—

TABLE UNDER SECTION 13-5 (c).

Council. Work.

£ s. d. Canterbury Municipal Construction on M.R. 167—Canterbury-road, in sections 3,427 5 1 Darlington Municipal Construction on M.R. 17—City-road, between Cleveland-street and Forbes-street- 1,722 18 8 Glebe Municipal , Construction on M.R. 84—Parramatta-road, between Bay-street and Glebe Point 1,967 2 4 Gramville Municipal .. Construction on M.R. 84—Western-road, between Auburn Boundary and Perry 545 0 0 street. Kuring-gai Shire Construction on M.R. 162—Ryde-Pittwater road, between De Burgh's Bridge and 967 9 6 First Rocks. Mosman Municipal ... Construction on M.R. 164:—Spit-road, in sections 1,608 10 1 Newtown Municipal... Construction on M.R. 17—King-street, between BUgh-street and Mary-street ... 1,613 4 10 Parramatta Municipal Construction on M.R. 157—Church-street, between Great Western road and 1,586 13 7 Argyle-street, Parramatta. Paddington Municipal Construction on M.R. 172—Oxford-street, between Dowling-street and Queen- 945 3 2 street. Randwick Municipal... Construction on M.R. 171—Anzac-parade, between City Boundary and Gardiner's 1,271 14 4 road. Waverley Municipal Construction on M.R. 172—Bondi-road, Oxford-street, and Old South Head road, 3,252 3 6 in sections. Woollahra Municipal Construction on M.R. 173—New South Head road, between City Boundary and 10,369 18 9 Towns-road.

Total £29,277 3 10

Councils' further Expenditure—Subsidy for.—It was provided in Section 13-5 (d) of the Act that a Council which had a main road reconstruction scheme in preparation at the time the Act was passed, might, pending the formation of the Board and its actually getting to work, submit the scheme to the Minister for Local Government and, if he approved, go on with the work, and the Eoaid would sub­ sequently have to grant a subsidy to recoup the Council. Under this rection, the Minister gave approval to the reconstruction of the St an more New Canterbury Road, from Enrcore Road to the Hurlstcne Park Terminus. The amounts which were spent from loan funds and the amounts still owing are as follow :—

TABLE UNDER SECTION 13-5 (rf).

Payment* by Board to 30th June. Balance of 1927. principal Outatand- Council. Expenditure from Ixian i "'"i Ino at 30th June. Principal. Interest. 19'.'7.

£ ». d. £ s. d. £ B.d. £ a. d. 26.211 14 9 4.246 14 0 2.879 3 9 21,966 0 9 1.162 14 11 1.162 14 11 31,412 3 8 11,191 5 0 2,960 17 1 20.220 18 8

ToUl £ 68,786 13 4 16,699 13 11 6,830 0 10 42.186 19 6

Botany liwid Trust.- Similarly, responsibility lias been assumed, under Section 1.3 f> (e) and (f) and Section 53 of the Act, for the debts of the Botany Road Trust, involving the payment of annual instalments of interest and principal, amounting to £17,562 Is. 10d., until such time as the loan liability of £167,763 10s. 4d. is extinguished.

Gordon Road.—In addition, by direction of Section 13- 5 (f) of the Act, the liability of the Government for payment of the interest charges to the Ku-ring-gai Shire Council on a loan of £60,000 borrowed for the reconstruction of Gordon-road, has been taken over.

Summary.—The following table shows the gross liability thus devolving upon the Board to 30th June 1927 and the amount still to be repaid.

SECTION 13—SUMMARY.

Payment* by Board to 30th June. 1U7. Balance of Liability Liability at A*-iimf«!. SOth June, 1927. Principal. Intereat.

£ i. d. £ B. d. £ 8. d. £ B. d Section 13-1, to Government 61,391 9 6 5,702 15 9 6,305 0 11 66,688 13 8 „ 13-2, 246,844 13 6 22,424 16 8 27,484 14 7 223,419 17 9 „ 13-6 fa) to Councils 180,921 5 6 39,293 14 11 21,578 11 7 141,627 10 7 ,. 13-6 (6) 102,043 17 7 11,594 19 2 1334 14 3 90,448 18 5 .. 13-6 (<•) 29,277 3 10 29,277 3 10 .. 13-8 id) 68,786 13 4 16,599 13 11 5330 0 10 42,186 19 5 ,. 13-6 («) 167,783 10 4 20,739 18 3 20,943 0 4 147,043 12 1 .. 13-8 (f)

846,048 13 6 145,633 1 6 83,976 2 6 700.41* 11 11

BALANCE OF FUNDS. The revenue for the year 1926-27 amounted to £716,824 16s. lOd. to which most be added a sum of £425,283 9s. Id. brought forward from the previous year, thus making a total sum of £1,142,108 5s. lid. available for expenditure during the year. The payments out amounted to £1,013.913 5s. Id. so that the balance available for expenditure on 30th June, 1927, was £128,195 Os. lOd. in the County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund. As against this balance available, the Hoard had, on the 30th June, 1927, entered into definite arrangements with Councils for the construction and maintenance of County of Cumberland main roads, various day-labour works and contract jobs were in progress, property was under negotiation for purchase or had been resumed, and arrangements had been made for the alteration of gas-mains, water-mains, tram lines, electricity-mains, telegraph and telephone wires—all involving heavy commitments. That the commitments exceeded the balance available and that work was in train in anticipation of further funds to be received for the financial year, 1927 28, will be seen from the following summary:—

Balance available at 30th June, 1927 128,195 Commitment* for— Construction of main roads by Councils 109,494 Maintenance of main roads by Councils 49,587 Construction of main roads by Board 176,208 Resumption of land, alteration of public utility services, Ac 150,036

Total commitments 485,325

Excess of commitments over balance available £357,130 0

CONSTRUCTION. General.—The policy of filling in the " missing links " and building the " missing ends " explained in the previous annual report has been continued, and a large amount of work has been done on this basis, particularly on the four great arterial roads leading out from Sydney. Other individual works have been carried out as the condition and importance of the road warranted, and in yet other cases, the work done has been part of a programme providing for the complete reconstruction of the road over a period of years (e.£., Main Road No. 167B—Gardiner's Road and Canal Street; and Main Road No. 165, Balmain to Parramatta). Classes of Construction adopted.—The class of construction adopted has been, in general, cement concrete, or cement concrete surfaced with asphaltic concrete. In isolated instances, where the traffic is light, waterbound macadam surfaced with tar has been used, and in other more heavily trafficked situations where local sandstone was available for the foundation, this has been adopted with a surface course of netration or premixed bituminous macadam. The high cost of the stone required, owing to the majority f it having to be obtained from outside the County of Cumberland, is such, however, as to make the less urable forms of construction uneconomical on Metropolitan main roads, and has tended towards the gradual option, as standard, of the two higher classes of pavement mentioned, except where special circumstances re against this. Of these two classes, cement concrete is generally employed, except where the road is raversed with tram tracks, in which case it is necessary to make provision for the renewal of the surface of the road without interference with the tracks. If bare cement concrete was used in such situations, traffic would ultimately wear the surface so as to require the addition of a course of asphaltic concrete, ' J inches to 2 inches thick. Difficulty would then arise, unless the tracks were lifted simultaneously with the laying of the asphaltic course, owing to the tracks having been set originally to the level of the cement concrete pavement. As the tracks are under a separate administration to that of the road pavement alongside, it is not possible to guarantee that such lifting will be done simultaneously with the addition .of the asphaltic concrete, and it is, therefore, necessary to adopt levels for the tram tracks and the road surface so that no alteration is required in the future, and to adopt such a form of construction as can be maintained without alteration of level. This is provided by a pavement comprising a cement concrete foundation and a renewable .] -1ili.iItic concrete wearing course. In some cases, authorised or commenced at a time when it was thought it would be possible to arrange for the reconditioning (and lifting) of the tram tracks to be carried out simultaneously with the surfacing of the road, bare cement concrete has been laid alongside tram tracks, but this practice will be discontinued in the future. Special plant obtained for laying cement concrete pavements.—For the construction of cement concrete vements, a special plant, illustrated and described below, has been obtained. For the breaking up of the ground, a road rooter is employed, drawn by a caterpillar tractor.

Lane Cove Road Reconstruction—Tractor Pulling Rooter.

The rooter consists of an angle-iron frame set on four adjustable wheels which allow the depth of the cut to be varied at will. It carries five points, similar to those used on a single rooter plough, and provision is made for setting one tyne on the outside of the wheel track. If it is necessary, a disc machine can be drawn over the broken ground by the tractor to break the earth into small pieces. 7

The loosened spoil is then pushed into its place in the new formation by means of a " back-filler " or " pusher " attached to the caterpillar-tractor; or, if it must be lifted and carted away, it is first dragged into a windrow by the back-filler, and then loaded into lorries by a mechanical loader, and transported to the dump.

Lane Cove Road Reconstruction -Backfiller at work.

Lane Cove Road Reconstruction—Loaders at work. B

This unit comprising rooter, tractor, back-filler and loader, operated by two drivers and three offsiders, is capable of excavating 200-250 cubic yards per day. With it* aid, the subgrade can be excavated very uniformly with little need of hand-trimming afterwards.

The slab is poured from a concrete paver, the rated capacity of which is 27 cubic feet per batch, but which, in actual practice, is found to be capable of 28*25 cubic feet per batch. It is self-propelled, with mechanically-elevated hopper and boom-and-bucket distributor, and moves on caterpillar tracks. It is driven by means of a 4-cylinder petrol engine. The water supply is rogulated by an automatic cut-off cistern, which can be sot to hold the desired amount of water. The mixer is fed by 25-cwt. end-tipping trucks, working in pairs—one tmck carrying 1J inch and j inch metal, and the other carrying sand and cement—the content* of a pair of trucks making a complete batch for the mixer.

The proportioning of the " aggregate " is done at the stock piles. For this purpose, three mechanical loaders are utilised—one for 14 inch gauge metal, one for ] inch screenings, and one for sand. These loaders are fitted with strike-off hoppers, which can be set to hold the required amount of aggregate. As soon as the hopper is full, any surplus material returns to the stock pile, so that only the desirod amount of aggregate can bo loaded. Each truck runs under these hoppers and receive* its charge in sevon seconds. The sand truck, after receiving the charge of sand, proceeds to the cement shed, where six bags of cement are emptied on top of the sand. On arrival at the mixer, the metal is dumped into the hopper and the sand and cement tipped on top of the metal. The number of lorries required to feed the ]>aver depends, of course, on the length of the lead. Four pairs of trucks are required for a lead of one mile.

Protection of Edge of Parement.—Iii roads where pavement* have been laid less than the full width bet ween kerbs, it. has been found t hat the cost, of shoulder maintenance, duo to horse-drawn and other vehicles travelling along the road with one wheel on the shoulder and the other on tho pavement, has been very high. In certain cases, therefore, where 20 feet wide pavements have been laid, timber or cement concrete block edging has been inserted to protect the edges of the concrete or bituminous macadam, and this has now been adopted as standard practice where premixed bituminous macadam is usod.

Eiperimental Wort.—During the construction of a section of the Great Southorn Highway between the cross roads (at the southorn extremity of the Municipality of Liverpool, where the road to Campbelltown branches off) and Carne's Hill, in the Shire of Nopean, in which the pavement consists of a Telford foundation of sandstone 8 inches deep, covered with a wearing course of 3 inches of premixed bituminous macadam, certain experiments were carried out with a view to ascertaining the simplest mixture of materials for the wearing course, compatible with service. As the various lengths have not been subjected to traffic for a sufficient length of time, it is not possible to speak with absolute certainty on the matter, but so far as can be seen at present, the most suitable mixture is 75 per cent, (by volume) 1 J-inch metal, 25 per cent, (by volume) -&-inch screenings, 8 gallons of bitumen per ton of mixed aggregate. The material is laid hot, and, after being sproad evenly, is rolled, first with a light tandem roller, and then with a 10-12 ton three-wheel power roller. Special care is taken that the lattor travels across tho pavomont diagonally, so as to eliminate as far as possible, any tendency to waving of the macadam. At tho commencement of operations, it was customary to complete the work by sealing the surface with a coat of bitumen at the rate of 4 gallon -per square yard; but. as the tendency of this treatment was to create " fat " patches wherever the premixed material was not even in texture, it was abandoned in favonr of applying an even coat of J inch chippings mixed with bitumen at the rate of 10 gallons per ton of chippings, which was spread hot about 4. inch thick in tho loose and rolled into the pavoment. The result is a surface scarcely distinguishable from asphaltic' concrete Tho cost of the premixed seal coat is about Id. per square yard of road surface more than that of the squoegeo seal.

In the previous annual report, reference was made to three types of cement concrete pavement which were being laid in Parramatta road (Main Road No. 84), Homebush and Lidcombe, for comparative purjwses. This work has been extended considerably during the year, and, from the experience gained in the earlier work, the original designs have been amended and future work carried out to the typical cross section illustrated below :—

Pipes..

TYPICAL Ctto-y; SECTION PARRaMaTTfi RD QrVtmWORTU Ro TO UaMMERSMnH ROfcT.)

It will be noted that the slabs are reinforced throughout. This proved necessary on account of the disturbance of subgrade involved by alterations to gas and water mains prior to the laying of the concrete. 10

SUMMARY OF "WORK AND EXPENDITURE—continued.

1 Road. | Expenditure. Municipality or Shire. Class of Construction. i Adjust­ ment of Land for Road Con­ No. Name. Public Widening. struction. Totals. _ ' Utilities.

SECONDARY ROADS.

Sutherland 2001 Port Hacking road W.-B. macadam 1,673 1,673 Kedfern ... 2003 Cleveland-street ... Asphaltic concrete on cement 6,251 6,251 concrete.

Totals 7,924 7,924

Summary.

Arterial roads ... 15,715 35,745 293,926 345,386 Main roads 17,817 1,938 269,047 288,802 Secondary roads 7,924 7,924

Gross Totals 33,532 I 37,683 '570,897 642,112 /

LENGTHS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION. The total length of new construction done, or being done, in the County of Cumberland is as follows

W.B. ^ Cement Asphaltic Pre-mixed Penetration Macadam, Formation Tela! Class of Road. ! Bituminous Bitimiiuoi:s Tar or Gravel. only. Concrete. Concrete. or Tar or Tar BiUimen Length., Macadam. Macadam. Surface-

Started between I at June, 1925, amd 30M June, 1926. mis. ft. mis. ft. mis. ft. mis. ft. mis. ft. mis. ft. mis. ft. mis. ft. Arterial highways. 5 2628 0 0693 0 4290 12 0977 3 2200 8 0550 30 0S68 Main roads 10 1857 1 0231 •1 0403 2 0474 3 3665 H 1687 29 3037 Secondary roads .

Started bet-ween 1st July, 1926, and SOtk June, 1927. 4 2106 1 4885 3 4790 4 2075 2 0970 0 0900 16 5166 16 0576 2 1078 1 0462 2 0792 12 1850 0 2480 34 1958 0 3225 0 4651 1 3663 3 0979

Totals 36 5112 6 0978 6 4665 20 4318 23 1878 11 2587 8 3030 114 144S - Summary.

S 4734 2 0298 4 3800 16 3052 5 3260 0 0900 8 0550 47 0754 26 2433 3 1309 2 0865 4 1266 16 0235 11 1687 0 2480 63 4995 0 3225 0 4651 1 3663 3 0979

36 5112 6 0978 6 4665 20 431S 23 1878 11 2587 8 3030 114 1448

MAINTENANCE. In spite of the large construction programme which was carried out during this and the previous year, the volume of maintenance work necessary to keep the existing roads in traffickable order was but slightly diminished. In fact, the improvements effected by the construction and maintenance programmes of 19^5-26, together with the rapid growth in the number of motor vehicles in use, considerably increased the amount of traffic carried by the roads and made necessary more extensive maintenance work. Experience generally, and particularly on the Western Highway, in the Blue Mountains Shire, indicated that it was almost useless to attempt to preserve water-bound macadam roads unless they were surfaced with tar or bitumen, if they were used to any extent by motor traffic. The outstanding feature of the year's main­ tenance work has, therefore, been the tar surfacing of such roads. Length of main roads being maintained by Board and Councils.—At 30th June, 1926, there were 579 miles of main roads in the County of Cumberland of which 500 miles were being maintained by the Councils and 79 miles by the Board. During the year, the mileage of main roads has slightly increased and additional lengths of road have been transferred to the Board for maintenance purposes, so that at 30th June, 1927, the total mileage of main roads was 586 of which the Councils are maintaining 396J miles and the Board 189J- miles. A further length (3J miles) of the Prince's Highway, in the Municipality of Kogarah, has since been added to the Board's responsibilities and the Board is now charged with the maintenance work on the whole of the Prince's Highway, South of Cook's River (excluding a section between George's River and Heathcote and the Bulli Pass Road), the Southern Highway, the Western Highway {except-in Glebe, Annandale, Leichhardt, Petersham, and Katoomba), and the Parramatta to Wiseman's Ferry via Windsor Road (except in Parramatta), as well as certain other roads of less importance, 11

MAINTENANCE BY COUNCILS. The following is a statement of grants and payments made to Councils during the year;—

Amount of Grants Amount of approved Grants Payments Grants Main approved made to approved to during during Councils 30-6-27 Council. Road Name. 1925-26 No. year durine unpaid to unpaid to 1926-27. 1926-27. Councils at Councils at 30-6-27. 30-6-26.

• £ s. d. £ g d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Alexandria 17 King-street 6 16* 6 6 16 6

»> 167a Henderson-road 2,118 3 3 1,006 3 3 i,ii2 ""ii o »t 167b Gardeners-road 390 0 0 590 3 4 980 3 4 »» 2005 Mitchell-road ... 75 0 0 75 0 0 Ashfield 23 Liverpool-road 41 10 6 41 10 6 ii ••• 84 Parramatta-road 381 12 8 381 12 8

Balmain 165 Weston-road 200 0 0 76 12 4 276 12 4 Bankstown 23 Liverpool-road 382 6 2 382 6 2 66 0 0 66 0 0 »» 167 Canterbury-road 352 13 o 352 13 2 Bexley 168 Forest-road 0 Blackheath 84 Great Western road 920 0 0 920 0 Botany 171 Bunncrong-road 374 18 4 374 IS 4 Burwood 23 Liverpool-road 100 0 0 100 0 0 Baulkham Hills 156 Castle Hill road 676 0 0 332 0 0 1,676 0 0 332 0 0 157 »> Pennant Hills road 1,195 10 0 918 10 0 277 0 0 161a »» Baulkham HillsMarnota road ... 4,418 10 0 998 10 0 3,420 0 0 Blacktown 84 Great Western road 663 0 0 88 15 7 751 15 7 93 Old Windsor road 23 0 0 23 0 0 > t 84 Blue Mountains Great Western road 550 0 0 1,052 5 2 8,602 5 2 17 Bulli Prince's Highway and M ai n 071 8 6 10,189 0 0 5,547 8 6 5,713 0 0 South Coast road. y> 22 Appin-Bulli road 200 0 0 200 0 0

Canterbury 167 Canter! mry-road 120 0 0 5,343 14 10 3,S63 14 10 1,600 0 0 Castlereagh 154 Castlereagh-road 1,253 11 9 1,253 11 9 Concord 164a Concord-road ... 2,006 19 2 1,198 19 2 808 "6 0

Darlington 17 City-road 282 0 11 282 0 11 Brummoyne .. 165 Bridge-road 240 0 0 240 0 0 Dundas 157 Pennant Hills road 2,454 0 0 1,000 0 0 1,454 0 0

j» 158 Church-street , 3,043 0 0 1,000 0 0 2,043 0 0

Eastwood 165a Bennett-street and Blaxland-road •152 0 4 152 0 4 Erskineville 17 King-street 113 18 £ 202 0 0 315 18 5 167a Erskineville-road 748 1 7 480 0 0 1,228 1 7

Glebe 84 Parramatta-road ,040 0 0 1,500 0 0 2,540 0 0

Granville 84 - j j 24 4 11 24 4 11 ...... 166 Woodville-road 626 6 5 626 6 5

HomcbuBh 84 Parramatta-road 27 7 11 27 7 11 Hunters Hill .. 165 Great North road 100 0 0 100 0 0 »> •* 165b Manning and Gladesville roads 781 18 3 290 18 3 491 0 0 Hurstville 168 Forest-road 080 11 0 3,528 11 0 980 11 0 3,528 11 0 Hornsby 158 Pennant Hills road 456 12 3 300 12 3 150 0 0 159 Peats Ferry road .J..... 3,800 0 0 1,300 0 0 2,500 0 0 ...... 161 Hornsby-Dural road ; 795 0 250 0 0 545 0 0 »i ft >» - • 165a Sutherland and Beeeroft roads ,700 0 0 2,510 3 5 4,208 3 5 1,002 0 0

Katoomba 84 ,392 0 0 2,394 4 6 3,392 0 0 394 4 6 Kogarah 17 Prince's Highway 2,510 0 0 2,000 0 0 510 0 0 »» 169a Rocky Point road I" 500 0 0 500 0 0 Kuring-gai 160 ,660 ^0 0 2,396 17 3 3,016 17 3 1,040 0 0 >» •• • • • 162 ,600 0 0 3,014 6 0 3,451 6 0 1,163 0 0

Lane Cove 160 Lane Cove road 50 0 0 176 15 1 226 15 1 165b Burns Baj road 1.393 10 4 793 10 4 600 0 0 Lidcombe 190 John, Church, and East streets. 2,731 0 0 1,600 0 0 1,731 0 0

Manly 163 Pittwater-road 2,362 3 3 2,362 3 3

'i 164 Sydney-road 2,726 18 11 1,953 18 11 .773 0 0 Mascot 167b Gard: ners-road 620 0 0 917 4 7 1,537 4 7 Mosman 164 Militarv-road . 181 11 8 181 11 8

Newtown 17,167 ,311 0 0 1.000 0 0 311 0 0 Nepean 154 185 0 0 1,512 4 0 1,697 4 0 North Sydney 160 Lane Cove road ,335 0 0 1,335 "o 0

Paddington 172 Oxford-street 857 0 0 857 0 0 New South Head road 14 1 17 1 n 173 17 64 0 0 78 Parramatta 155 Windsor-road 695 0 0 695 0 0 157 Church-street 1,010 0 0 1,610 0 0 >r 165 Victoria-road 505 0 0 505 0 0 154 Penrith Castlereagh-road ( 180 0 0 199 14 4 379 14 4 154a Kingswood-Luddehhani road 119 5 0 119 5 0 >> 84 Parramatta-road 3,537 19 1 2,892 19 1 645 0 0 Petersham 167 »> New Canterbury road 30 5 8 219 5 11 249 11 7

Eandwick 171 Anzac-parade ,843 0 0 2,554 19 8 3.098 16 1 1,299 3 7 172 Oxford-street 293 5 0 293 5 0 12

Maintenance by Councils—continued.

Amount of Amount of Grant approved Grants Paymemts Grants Main during approved made to approved to Council. Road Nani3. 1925-26 during Councils 30-6-27 No. unpaid to year during unpaid to Councils at 1926-27. 1926-27. Councils at 30-6-26 30-6-27.

£ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Redfern .. 170 Regent-street 160 12 0 145 8 2 15 3 10 Richmond 93 Windsor-road 520 8 0 270 8 0 250 0 0 154 Richmond-Penrith to Narellan 495 1 2 .165 1 2 330 0 0 road. Rockdale 168 Forest-road , 520 0 0 520 0 0 169 Bay-street 1,125 0 0 1,125 0 0 17 Prince's Highway 200 8 7 200 8 7 Ryde., 162 Pittwater-road 125 0 0 125 0 0 164a Bowden-streot 300 0 0 300 0 0 165 Great North road 3,647 16 4 2,032 16 1,615 0 0 165a Blaxland-road and Parkes-street 1,012 0 6 1,012. 0 191 Ryde-Chatswood road 4,540 0 0 4,540 6 0

St. Marys 154 a Kings wo od-Ludde nh ani road 121 19 10 121 19 10 St. Peters 17 Cooks River road 1,301 11 4 1,361 11 4 167b Canal-road- 300 0 0 250 0 0 550 0 0 Strathfield 23 Liverpool-road 102 15 10 102 15 10 Sutherland 17 Prince's Highway 4,076 0 0 2,750 0 0 1,326 0 0 169a Taren Point road 2,932 11 5 1,653 11 5 1,279 0 0

Vaucluse 173 New South Head road 96 17 8 626 5 1 723 2 9

Waverley 172 Oxford-street 16 19 10 1,499 3 837 3 2 679 0 0 Willoughby 160 Lane Cove road 200 0 200 0 0 Woollahra 172 Oxford-street 455 4 227 12 3 227 32 4 173 New South Head road 1,995 0 1,995 0 0 Warringah 162 Pittwater-road 3,000 15 1,660 15 8 1,340 0 0 163 Narrabeen-road 12,406 16 9,512 16 11 2,894 0 0 Wollondilly 22a Appin-Oataract Bridge 650 0 0 248 0 650 0 0 248 0 0 22 Bulli-Appin to Campbelltown 2,106 7 2,106 7 4

Miscellaneous refunds, &c. 331 0 0 Credit.

Totals 29,677 4 9 128,948 5 8 108,707 15 2 49,586 15 3' from which it will be seen that the total payments to Councils are £108,707 15s. 2d. as compared with £123,075 10s. 7d. for the year 1925-26. As a result of the knowledge gained last year of the requirements of the various main roads and the capacity of the various Councils to earry out maintenance work, the assistance required this year could be more closely anticipated and the work of dealing with Councils' programmes was systematised to a greater degree than was previously possible. Uniform standards of maintenance in conformity with the volume of traffic were adopted, as far as practicable. The principle of continuous maintenance in place of the too-prevalent practice of allowing roads to fall into serious disrepair before giving them attention, was specially emphasised and the grants to Councils were, with due allowance for local conditions, based as far as possible upon uniform unit costs. Standard specifications for maintenance were prepared and special endeavours were made to secure adherence to these. It is not, of course, intended that the standard specifications should prevent reasonable adaption to special local conditions, if economy or the satisfactory use of local materials is thereby possible, but the necessity for standardising methods and using a better quality of materials has been made clear from the inspections of Councils' works either in progress or completed.

A number of urgently required works for which funds were made available have been delayed owing to the lack of suitable road-making plant. The Council either had not the plant, or had it in use on roads, other than main roads. The result has been inconvenience to traffic and increased expenditure when the work was finally taken in hand. This is in every way unsatisfactory. In one or two special cases, where reconstruction works were being carried out by the Board adjacent to the roads requiring maintenance, it has been possible to lend plant to the Council, but this cannot be done as a general rule. It is therefore, asked that all Councils maintaining main roads should pay special attention to carrying out works for which funds are granted, as they are required, and that they should arrange to have suitable plant available at that time. The Board, on its part, will arrange to inform Councils either before, or at, the beginning of each year, of the works authorised and sums available for that year, so that no hindrance may occur from the Councils not being aware of what will be approved. •

Maintenance by the Board. The increase previously mentioned, of the mileage of main roads under the Board's direct charge for maintenance, has been due to two causes. Firstly, as was indicated in the first annual report, the maintenance of the arterial highways, which pass through numerous Municipalities and Shires, could not be satisfactorily dealt with except under one administration; and secondly, there has been the tendency, on the completion of any reconstruction work, for its maintenance to be handed over to the Board. 9

SUMMARY OF WORK AND EXPENDITURE. The following is a summary of the work done and expenditure incurred on Arterial, Main and Secondary highways in the County of Cumberland for the period, 1st July, 1926, to 30th June, 1927 :—

Expenditure. Road. Municipality or Shire. Class of Construction. Adjust­ ment of Land for Road Con­ Totals. Name. Public Widening. struction. Utilities.

ARTERIAL ROADS.

The Northern Highway. £ £ £ £ Lane Cove and Willoughby 160 Lane Cove road .. 3,659 5,423 40,238 49,320. Hornsby , 159 Peat's Ferry road Cement concrete and forma­ 267 3,328 71,794 75 389 tion. Ku-ring-gai. 160 Lane Cove road .. 145 145

Total 3,926 8,896 112,032 124,854

Thp, Southern Highway.

Burwood and Enfield Liverpool-road Cement concrete 967 9,199 10.166 Liverpool ... Bit.-penetration macadam.. 4,251 4 251 Nepean , Cross roads to Game's Hill Prc-mixed bituminous 16,215 16,215 macadam.

Totals 967 29,665 30,632

The Western Highway.

Annandale, petersham and Parramatta-road Cement and asphaltic concrete 495 8,634 9.129 Leichhardt. Drummoyne 111 111 Ashfieid Widening only 1,826 694 2,520 Burwood 451 451 Homebush, Lidcom.be and Cement concrete 4,267 6,594 53,216 64.077 Auburn. Parramatta Church-street Pre-mixed bituminous 68 2,154 2,222 macadam. Blackheath ... Western-road Bit.-penetration macadam 70 38,555 38,625

Blue Mountains 32,965 32,965

Totalis 4,900 8,982 136,218 150,100

The Prince's Highway. £ £ £ £

St. Peters Cook's River road i Asphaltic-concrete on cement 5,900 17,817 2,000 25.717 concrete. Rockdale... Prince's Highway I Cement concrete - 22 50 10,073 10,145 (Arnclifre Hill). j Sutherland Prince's Highway j Bit.-penetration macadam 3,938 3,938

Totals 5,922 17,867 16,011 39,800

MAIN ROADS.

Paddington 173 New South Head road Cement concrete 1,921 6,847 8,768 Kogarah and Rockdale 169£ Rocky Point road Premixed tar-macadam on 3,193 13,770 16,963 Telford. Hurstville . 168 Forost-road Asphaltic concrete on Telford 1,422 20,071 21,493 Canterbury 167 Canterbury-road Cement concrete 349 11,350 11,699 Bulli 17 Stanwell Park to Bulli Formation 12,740 12,740 17 South Coast road Bit. penetration macadam 2,360 2,360 Randwick 171 Anzac-parado Asphaltic concrete on cement 583 22,991 23,574 concr -to Alexandria 167a Hendorson-road 723 17 2,475 3,215 Mascot and Waterloo 167b Gardener's-road 761 17,627 18,388 Penrith 154 Mulgoa-road W-B.M. tar-surfaced 5,000 5,000 Nepean 154 Mulgoa Creek Bridge . Timber 1,153 1,153 St. Mary's 154a Bringelly-road W-B.M. tar-surfaced 6,963 6 963 Windsor 93 Windsor-Richraond- 494 24,039 24,533 Kurrajong-road 93 Rickaby Creek Bridge Cement concrete 1,033 1,033 CWlereagh 93a Cornwall is-ro ad W.B.M. tar-surfaced 4,880 4,880* Balmain 165 Weston-road Cement concrete 2,691 16.365 19,056 Drummoyne 165 Bridge-street 4,070 4.070 Hunter's Hill and R yd© 165 Great North road .... 2,085 20.367 22,452 Ermington and Parramatta. 165 Victoria-road 155 2,657 2,812 Ryde '. 165a Parkes-street Pre-mixed tar-rnacadam • 221 2,304 2,525 Lane Cove 165b Longueville-road Cement concrete 697' 8,799 9,496 Eastwood and Ryde 162 Pittwater-road W.B.M. tar-surfaced 2,000 2,000 Manly 163 4,326 4,326 Miscellaneous Small construction works 117 59,186 59,303

Totals 17,817 1,038 269,017 288,802

* funds provided by Commonwealtji Government, MAP OF THE

COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Showing the Sections of Road Maintained

The Main Roads Board Scale

REFERENCE Alexandria AL Leichhardt L Annandale A Marrickville MA Ashfield AS Mascot M Balmain B Newtown N Burwood BU Paddington PA Darlington D Parramatta P Drummoyne DR Petersham PE Enfield EN Redfern R Ermjngton J I I} StPeters S'P Rydalmere J Z-T\ Strathfield SIR Erskineville E Vaucluse Glebe C Waterloo wV Home bush H Waverley WA HuntersHill HH Woollarah WO

48771 13

Establishment of Maintenance Branch.—-For this work, a separate organisation, under- the charge of a Maintenance Engineer, has been established and equipped. The work of maintenance carried out by this organisation has consisted of reconditioning sections of road constructed before the Board was formed, which have proved too weak for the traffic, or which had badly corrugated. It has also involved resurfacing with tar (or bitumen), and screenings (or gravel), repair of potholes, maintenance of shoulders, clearing and reforming of watertables, redecking of bridges and culverts, restoration of edges and the scarifying and tarring of untarred stretches. The width oi ^uvement on many of the roads constructed prior to 1925 is 15 or 18 feet, which is inadequate for present day main road traffic, and results in vehicles travelling with their wheels either on the edge of the pavement or on the shoulders of the road. This is especially accentuated on curves, where the past practice has not provided any increased width of pavement or superelevated the surface. The effect has been a fretting away of the edges of the pavement and serious damage to the shoulders. Special attention has therefore been devoted to strengthening the edges of the pavement. The proper remedy is, however, the widening of the pavements to not less than 20 feet (increased on curves), and this will be done as funds can be provided. The " waving " or corrugation of the bitumen- surfaced waterbound macadam roads in the nearer suburbs, which were constructed prior to the Board's formation, has continued to make it difficult to maintain a reasonably smooth running surface. Experi­ ments in the eradication of corrugations are in hand : but so far, no means other than scarifying and re­ conditioning the wearing surface has been.found for overcoming this trouble. Corrugations have also begun to develop in some of the more distant sections of these roads.

In order to eliminate the nuisance caused by dust arising from the screenings used in surfacing works, the application of a weak solution of calcium chloride a few hours after spreading the screenings has been tried with beneficial results. The.use of this material will be continued in subsequent operations in locations where dust is likely to cause inconvenience. System of Maintenance.-—The system of maintenance adopted has been the employment of patrol men in groups of two or three, each group in charge of a section of the road varying from five miles to ten miles (the length depending on the condition of the surface, and the density of traffic). The duty of each group is to traverse daily the section for which it is responsible, so that any repairs required may be at once known and the necessary attention given. Each patrol is equipped with a dray, light horse-grader and plough, in addition to hand tools. A number of road drags of various types are being tried and the equipment of each patrol with drags, for use on shoulders, is under consideration. Supplementing the work of these patrols, a number of gangs, each equipped with larger plant, have been employed in surfacing with bitumen or tar, reconditioning of corrugated surfaces, etc. The approximate quantities of these heavier classes of work-carried out are as follow :— sq. yds. Bitumen, surfacing 165,000 Tar surfacing (excluding Blue Mountains Road and Wiseman's Ferry Road) 95,000 Reconditioning of corrugated surfaces 11,000

Total 271,000 To cope with the needs of this class of work, two full-sized pressure spraying machines, each capable of spraying 2,500 gallons per day, have been acquired. A separate bridge-repair gang of skilled men, complete with a portable outfit of tools, etc., mounted on a motor truck is also being formed, and will deal systematically with minor construction work and main­ tenance of all bridges on arterial highways within the County of Cumberland. To provide the means for carrying out any urgent work which may become necessary when the ordin­ ary maintenance staff is not on duty, i.e. at week ends and holidays, an emergency motor truck has been fitted up, and kept available at the Rosehill Depot, the staff being available by telephone. On information being received from the Police, or from other sources, of any emergency, such as flood washouts, or an acci­ dent necessitating the repair of guard rails or fences, immediate attention can be given. As part of the maintenance organisation, a system of costing has been installed. As might be expected, the initiation of such a system entailed considerable difficulties, as it involved the furnishing of detailed returns by maintenance patrol men, to whom such work was naturally unfamiliar. When in complete operation, the system will furnish the detailed cost and nature of work carried out on pavements/shoulders, watertables, culverts, or bridges in each individual mile or other selected section of the several roads and, together with information concerning the volume of traffic using each road (which will be obtained by census), will enable the value of the various processes and methods employed to be accurately judged. It will also assist in the supervision of the men engaged in maintenance work, on whom a close check is otherwise difficult, owing to the nature of the work. Expenditure.—The total expenditure on the various sections of arterial highways and main roads maintained by the Board during the year amounted to £97,13119s. 2d..

Digging up of Main Roads. As part df the maintenance work a large amount of restoration of openings made by the various authorities controlling public utilities services, and by plumbers in making connections thereto, has been carried out. The necessity for a proper measure of control over such openings, and for provision for the collection of the costs of restoration resulting therefrom, has become increasingly felt. A bulletin dealing with this matter is being prepared. When it is ready, it is proposed to seek from the Grovernor-in- Council, the application of Section 39 of the Act, by proclamation, to the various main roads which are being maintained by the Board, and thus to bring the digging up of those roads more directly into the Board's control. 14

LOANS BY COUNCILS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF MAIN AND SECONDARY ROADS. The following is a list of cases in which, as funds were not available for the construction of reconstruction of roads from revenue, arrangements have been made with the Councils for the latter to borrow the money needed on the undertaking that the Board will meet the instalments of principal and interest as they fall due. (See Section 181c of the Local Government Act, 1927.)

Municipality or Shire. Amount of Rate of Road. loan. Period. interest.

(a) Included in Last Year's Report. £ Years. Per cent. Botany Main Road 170—Botany-road from near Wilson-street to *30,000 12 6 Randwick boundary. Darlington Main Road 17—Between Cleveland-street and St. Paul's road. * 15,500 15 5f Ermington and Rydalmere Main Road 165—Victoria-road *35,000 12 Hunter's Hill and Ryde Main Road 165—Great North road, from Gladesville Bridge to *27,600 12 5* Pittwater-road. Ku-ring-gai . Main Road 162—Pittwater-road, from Lane Cove road to * 10,500 12 6 St. Ives. Manly Main Road 164—Sydney-road, from Hilt-street to Crescent- * 10,000 12 Bf street. Parramatta . Main Road 155—from Barney-street to northern municipal *4,500 15 H boundary. Parramatta . Main Road 157—Pennant Hills road, from new Windsor-road *7,960 15 5f to Burnside-street. fParramatta. Main Road 165—Kissing Point road and Victoria-road, from *3,410 15 5* Pennant-street to boundary. Penrith .... Main Road 154—Mulgoa-road *5,550 8 6 Penrith Main Road 154A—Kingswood-Luddenham road *2,500 8 6 Richmond Main Road 93—Rickaby Creek Bridge to ChurchJfill, Rich­ * 18,000 15 51 mond. St. Mary's Main Road 154A—Kingswood-Luddenham road * 16,580 6 6 Warringah Main Road 163- -Pittwater-road, from Manly to Newport 40,000 ...... The request to the Municipality of Katoomba in connection with the arranging of a loan to enable works to be carried out on Main Road No. 84—Great "Western Road—has been withdrawn.

{b) 'Additional Cases During Current Year. £ Years. Redfern Secondary Road No. 2003—Cleveland-street, from D<.wling *6,000 15 street to Regent street. Darlington .. Secondary Road No, 2003—Cleveland-street, from Britannia 13,400 ... Hotel to City-road. Glebe Secondary Road No. 2002—Bridge-road, from Taylor-street to *9,500 15 Ross-street. Ku-ring-gai ,. Main Road No. 162—Pittwater-road, Lane Cove road to Kill- •1,600 12 eaton-street. Ku-ring-gai .. Main Road No. 160—Lane Cove road, from Boundary-street to 76,000 ... Pearce's Corner. Mascot Main Road No 1 67B—Gardener's-road, from Rosebery Park 17,500 12 Racecourse to Bunnerong-road. Randwick Main Road No. 171—Anzac parade, lrom Barkcr-strci * 18,000 12 Gardener's-road. Willoughby .. Main Road No. 160—Lane Cove road, from North Sydney *60,000 boundary to Broughton-street. Willoughby .. Main Road No. 191—Fuller's-road, from Lano Cove road to 1,500 ... View-street. Richmond Main Road No. 93—Rickaby Creek to Church Hill, Richmond... *20,000 15 Ermington and Rydalmere. Main Road No. 165—Victoria-road *5,800 12 Manly * Main Road No. 164—Sydnoy-road, from Hill-street to Crescent- 11,000 12 street. North Sydnoy Main Road No. 160—Lane Cove road, from Mount-street to $44,000 ... Falcon-street. Ryde Main Road Nos. 165 and 165A—Pittwater-road to Argyle- $41,000 avenue. Kogarah and Rockdale Main Road No. 169A—Rocky Point road, from Rarasgate-road $25,000 ... to Taren Point. Hunter's Hill , Main Road No. 105—Great North road, from Gladesville •1,334 12 Bridge to Pittwater-road. Woollahra Main Road No. 173—New South Head road, from Lyne Park tc $12,500 ... Newcastle-street. Alexandria Secondary Road No. 2005—Mitchell-road,f rom Henderson- $15,000 ... road to Cook's River road. Drummoyne , Secondary Road No. 2006—LyonVroad, from Great Nortl $22,000 ... road to Bridge-street. Leichhardt Secondary Road No. 2007—Balmain-road $5,750 Waterloo..., 15,000 ... from Botanyroad to Dcwling-street,

Total £411,784

* Indicates works completed, or under construction. t Omitted in error in previous report. $ Approximate estimates only. Many of these works are already completed, or in hand. The remainder will be commenced as soon as the surveys and designs are completed, and the loans actually obtained by the Council's. It will be seen that the total sum involved in, these commitments is a large one, involving an annual charge on the Board's revenues of approximately £79,740 for 15 years. This system of finance was instituted early in the Board's operations, to deal with urgent cases which would otherwise have had to wait for some years. It was continued during the current year to fulfil promises which had been made to Councils prior to the passing 15

of the Finance (Taxation Management) Act, 1926, and which the reduction of the BoarcVs revenues unaer that Act made impossible unless this expedient was resorted to. The system of arranging comparatively small loans through the Councils, is not so economical as arranging for one large loan, and the Board feels that if it is necessary to resort to borrowing to keep pace with the need for road.improvements on Main Roads in the County of Cumberland, this borrowing should be done either by the Government or directly by the Board itself. It is proposed, therefore, to discontinue as a general policy borrowing through the Councils for the future.

PROCLAMATION OP NEW MAIN ROADS. The following is a list of roads which have, during the year under review, been proclaimed under section 8 of the Act, as new Metropolitan Main Roads :—

Municipality. Road. Remarks-

Branch from Bunnerong-road to the Coast Hospital. To provide a duplicate route for one-way traffic at a difficult part of Military-road. Road to Commonwealth Aerodrome.

Lidcombe No. 190—John-street, Church-street, Railway- Principal road to Rookwood Cemetery. parade, East-street to Rookwood Cemetery Gates, opposite Patrick-street. Hunter's Hill No. 165b—Salter-street In lieu of Manning-road,

No. 191—From Main Road No. 165a, via Wicks- Road leading to Northern Suburbs Cemetery road, Lucknow-road, Delhi-road, Milwood- and part of circumferential read connect­ avenue and Fuller's-road to Main Road No. 160. ing Concord with Manly.

Roads removed from List of Main Roads.

The following are roads which have been removed from the list of proclaimed Main Roads :—

Municipality. Road. Remarks.

Hunter's Hill Salter-street substituted in lieu.

Hunter's Hill and Ryde ... No. 162—Pittwater-road, from junction with Main Road No. 191 substituted in lieu. Main Road No. 165 to north end of Northern Suburbs Cemetery.

The Council of the Municipality of Waterloo has also agreed to the removal of Main Road No. 167a— Raglan-street from Botany-road to Elizabeth-street-—from the list in return for the proclamation of Bourke and Lachlan streets as a Secondary Road (No. 2008), and,this will be done as soon as certain expenditures on, Raglan-street have been completed. Length of Main Roads.—The length of main roads has been increased on account of the new lengths proclaimed by 7 miles, allowing for those roads struck off the list. The total mileage in the County of Cumberland at 30th June, 1927, was 586 miles.

DECLARATION OF SECONDARY ROADS.

The following is a list of roads which have, during the year, been declared by notification under section 18 to be Secondary Roads :—•

Municipality. Road. Remarks-

Glebe No. 2002—Bridge-road, from City of Sydney Relieves Parramatta-road of traffic travelling boundary, near Blackwattle Bay, to Parra­ west from Pyrmont Bridge. matta-road.

Redfern and Darlington ... No, 2003—Cleveland-street, from Dowling-street Circumferential road connecting Main Road -to City-road. No. 17 and 170, and extension of Main Road No. 171.

No. 2004—The road commencing at the inter, Provides an alternative loop to the Spit-road, section of Sydney-road, Main Road No. 164 and to enable one-way traffic to be adopted as Battle Boulevarde, in the Municipality of desired by the Traffic Branch of the Police Manly, parish of Manly Cove, and county of Department. Cumberland; thence generally north-westerly and south-westerly, via Battle Boulevarde to Edgecliffe Esplanade; thence north-westerly via Edgecliffe Esplanade, to Panorama-parade; thence northerly, via Panorama-parade to Ross-street; thence easterly, via Ross-street, to its intersection with Sydney-road, Main Road No. 164.

Alexandria and Erskineville No, 2005—Mitchell-road, from Henderson-road Provides an alternative route for traffic from generally south-westerly to King-street. the Prince's Highway entering the city. {See also page 19.) 16

Declaration of Secondary Roads— continued^

Muiiioipilitv, Remarks.

Drummoyne No. 2000—Lyons-road and Great North road. Acts as switch to traffic from the Ryde- Road commencing at the intersection cf Bridge- Drummoyne road, which desires to proceed street, Main Road No. 165, and Lyons-road, in to suburbs west of Sydney. the Municipality of Drummoyne, parish of Concord and county of Cumberland; thence south-westerly, via Lyon's-road, to the Old, Great North road; thence generally southerly and south-westerly, via the Great North road to its intersection wi^h Parramatta-road, Main Road No. 84.

Balmain and Leichhardt No. 2007—Balmain-road and Darling-street. Acts as switch to traffic from Ryde-Drur Road commencing at the intersection of Parra­ moyne-Balmain road, which desires , matta-road (Main Road No. 84) and Balmain- proceed to suburbs west of Sydney. road,inthe Municipality of Leichhardt; thence via Balniain-road and Darling-street, generally northerly and north-easterly to Weston-road (Main Road No. 165), in the Municipality of Balmain.

Waterloo. Part uf Bourke and Lachlan streets, commencing Part of a circumferential road corraecthi at the intersection of Botany-road (Main Road Main Roads Nos. 170 and 171. No. 170) and Bourke-street, in the Municipality of Waterloo, proceeding north-easterly along Bourke-street to Lachlan-street; thence easterly along Lachlan-street to Dowling-street

The total mileage of secondary roads at 30th June, 1927, was 12 miles.

WIDENING OF MAIN ROADS. The desirable widths on main roads were discussed in the first annual report, and the procedure described by which it was proposed to secure these. The advantages to be obtained from adequate widths of main roads need no elaboration to secure their admission, while the advisability of taking immediate steps which will at a later date enable a main road to be widened at a low cost, is generally agreed upon. The whole problem is one of cost, and how to secure the ends in view with a minimum of public expenditure and private inconvenience. In the report referred to, an explanation was given of the manner in which it was proposed to tackle this problem for a number of streets within the closer metropolitan area. The pro­ cedure might be described briefly as " realignment plus resumption ". Realignment under Section 262 of the Local Government Act can only be applied to lands already built upon; and to cover the case of vacant lands, prior to resumption or purchase by the Board, it is necessary to supplement realignment by fixing building lines as provided for under Section 308 of the Local Government Act,, so that no new building can be erected in advance of the ultimate alignment of the road. Wherever, therefore, widening schemes have been adopted, the Councils affected have been asked to fix building fines under Section 308, and when the precise survey for realignment is completed, the new alignment will be gazetted. Whether the land is vacant or otherwise, the road will thus be widened at the cost of the land only. In the case of roads for whose widening it is desired to provide in this way, but which are at present closely built upon by shops, it is often represented that hardship would result if, as a result, individual shops had their fronts held back from the general frontage on either side. . It is therefore proposed to make use of Section 276a of the recently amended Local Government Act which provides that— " The Council may (after public notice and hearing any objector who lodges objection within one month) lease to any adjoining landowner for not more than five years at any one time any public road or part thereof which the Council considers is not needed for present public use. " Any such lease shall contain a provision for the determination of the lease by the Council upon six months' notice to the lessee." When, then, any land under a realignment proclamation becomes vacant and is not immediately required for road use-—this would generally be the case only when a large number of strips of land had been obtained—the Board will pay compensation, and either the Board or the Council, aB the "case may be, will be able to lease it back to the owner of the residue behind (at a rent sufficient to pay interest on the capital involved and incidental expenses) and allow the lessee to erect on the strip a light temporary structure, so as to bring the shop front out to the general line of the adjoining shops. The lessee would, be required to remove this building at his own expense on the termination of his lease. • In the more rural parts of the country, the fixing of a building line will alone be sufficient, without any steps being taken to acquire the land between the building line and the road alignment for years to come. The occupier will thus have full use of his property, except that he must not build beyond the limits fixed by the building line. The general width of existing roads is 66 feet; the width for which provision is being made is 84 feet, but where the road passes through long lengths of property unbuilt upon, and the cost of acquiring a strip 33 feet wide will be little in excess of that of acquiring a strip 18 feet wide, this has been increased to 99 feet. Typical cross sections showing the alternative methods of arranging the road for the different widths are shown on pages 17 and 18.

MAIN ROADS BOARD OF NEW SOUTH WALES — TYPICAL CROSS-SECTIONS OF BOULEVARD HIGHWAYS 99^1 WIDE

- 1927

jo'-o'

TYPE A

S£3 • /so- •2/-0- 99'-(?' TYPE B f 7ram 6rac/rj an open ba/fast}

7?ff MJ/NMi0S3OAW Of NSW 60-0 I£_7:6'_ ,e:0' 33'- 0' TYPE C Designing Cn^isieer 19

Uoads approved to be widened.—Based on these principles, the list of roads for which schemes of widen­ ing have been adopted, and for which the respective Councils have been asked to fix building lines, is as follows. The surveys for realignment are in hand :—

Road. Proposed Width. Sections Widened. Remarks. No. Name.

Arterial Road No. Great Northern High 84 feet from Mount-street, North St. Leonards station Sections from Harbour Bridge approach (North 5007, Main Roads way, Sydney to Sydney to Hornsby railway station, to Broughton-road, ' Sydney) to Mount-street, and from Hornsby Nos. 160 and 159. Newcastle wnPeat's and from AsquittTto Mount Colah, Willoughby, a Railway station to Asquith under investigation. .Kerry. except from St. Leonards station to length of 1-48 miles. Prom Mount Colah to Hawkesbury River road Broughton-ruad, where width adopted is already 99 feet wide. Minor lengths in is 82 feet. North Sydney, Willoughby, and Kuring-gfli, other than in the section widened, have been purchased or resumed. Arterial Road No. Great Southern High. 84 feet from junction with Western Section from the Boulevarde to Haasa 11-strect 5,002, Main • way, Sydney to Mel Highway at Ashrield to the Boule­ under consideration. From Hassall-street to Road No. 23. bourne rid Albnry. varde (Burwood and Strathfield); Anzac-street in Municipality of Bankstown, 90 feet from Anzac-street to level the width is already 132 feet, except for a few crossing of Great Southern Railway; private allotments which require to be resumed. 84 feet from level crossing to cross roads at southern boundary of Municipality of Liverpool. Arterial Koad No. Great Western High 80 feet from Wolseley-street. Ashfleld, From Wcntworth- From boundary of City of Sydney M'cstwards to 5,005. •• Main way. to Western Road corner, Parramatta, road, Homebush, to Wolseley-street (3 miles), and from Woodvlllc- Road No. 84. except as noted under " Remarks." Duck Creek, Gran­ road, Holroyd, to Marion-street, Parramatta ville, a length of 4 mile) width originally greater than 80 feet. miles. Length remaining to be widened 4-2 miles, but in this numerous strips have been obtained. Arterial Road No. Prince's Highway 80 feet from St. Peters railway station Sydenham- Botany Mitchell-road, Alexandria, declared a Secondary 5,001, Main to Cook's River; 84 feet from Cook's railway to Cook's Boad in lien of widening from City-road to Roads Nos. 17 River to Bcacli-strect, Kogarah. Bivcr. a lengih of St. Peters railway station. Section from and 18. 4,472 fret. Bcach-strorct to George's Bivcr Bridge under consideration. Main Road No. 173 New South Head road 80 feet from City Boundary at Ncild- Belleviic-roiid to At Rose Bay, width greater than 80 feet, and road avenue to Ho]>ctL>un-avcniic.. Vaii- Lyrte Park, a length arranged as boulevarde. Similar design pro­ cluse. of 6,900 feet and posed opposite Lyne Park. bend in the vicinity of Glenmore-road, Paddington. Main Road No. 172 Oxford-street 80 feet from City Boundary at Barcom- Ormond-street to avenue to Centennial square, a length Underwood-street. of 1 mile. Main Road No. 170 Botany-road. 84 feet from Cleveland-street to Wilson- street, and 80 feet from Wilson-street to Beauchamp-road. Main Road No Henderson-road 84 feet from Botany-road to Mitchell- From Botany-road to Council is contributing one-quarter of cost oi 167A. road. Garden-street. resumption for length from Botany-roaiJ to Garden-street- Main Road No. 165 Sydney-Balmatn- 104 feet for Weston-road, Balmain; 84 Minor resumptions at Drummoyne-Ryde feet for Bridge-street, Drummoyne; corners have been road. 80 feet for Great. North road, Hunter's carried out. Hill and Ryde.

PART III—THE COUNTRY MAIN ROADS FUND.

REVENUE. The following is a statement of the moneys^ received by the Board from the Country Main Roads Fund Revenue for the period from 1st July, 1926, to 30th June, 1927.

•Previous period vide Balance-sheets, This Year. Increase- Decrease. pages 51 and 52.

£ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Revenue

with section, 10 Act, 1924 1,120,170 8 0 452,382 0 0 667,788 8 0

priation, section 20, Main Roads Act, 1924 114,930 0 0 90,000 0 0 24,930 0 0 Interest on Advances for roadwork and plant . 1,053 8 4 8,577 18 5 7,524 10 1 Plant hire and plant charges to works 37,059 2 7 37,059 2 7 MiBcel.nneous receipts 535 1 6 37 12 6 497 9 0

1,236,688 17 lp 588,056 13 6 44,583 12 8 693,215 17 0

Loan— Parliamentary appropriation, section 20, 400,000 0 0 300,000 0 0 100,000 0 0 Other- Commonwealth and State Governmen work on developmental main roads 360,353 17 6 - 360,353 17 6 Commonwealth Government Grant for r ing and strengthening main roads . 1,000 0 0 1,000 0 0 Local Government contribution 2,052 0 0 2,052 0 0

363,405 17 6 363,405 17 6

Gross Total £ 44,583 12 8 1,156,621 14 6 2,000,094 15 4 j 888,056 13 6

t This column covered more than twelve months, vide last year's report. 20

EXPENDITURE. The following is a return of the expenditure from the C'ountrv Main Roads Fund for the period from 1st July, 1926, to 30th June, 1927

Commitment1; Total Head of M\]'*ndil.urc Amount, paid out. for Expenditure and Works in Prosires Commitments.

Road Construction—By Councils and Board under section 22 of| £ s. d. s. d. £ s. d. Main Roads Act, 1924— I Resumption for road purposes I 445 19 5 445 19 5 Construction from Revenue ..' 514,709 19 3 753.498 17 1,268,208 16 11 Construction from Loans j 470,249 19 !) .151,398 14 621,648 13 11 Survey, design and supervision 42,975 15 2 42,975 15 2 Commonwealth-cum-State Works—Construction of develop­ mental Main Roads I 150,115 7 5 150,115 7 5 • Reconditioning and strengthening existing Main Roads ] 14,048 19 3 14,048 19 3 Adjustment of public utility services £,233 0 11 2,233 0 11 Road Maintenance—By Councils and Board under section 22 ofj Main Roads Act, 1924— Maintenance of main roads and bridges , 298,204 14 3 129,580 15 G 427,785 9 9 Repayment of Loans- Payments to Treasury under section 21. Main Roads Act, 1924 1,593 2 8 1,593 2 8 Plant- Plant oxpenses, including depreciation 25,277 13 4 25,277 13 Administrative Expenses 22,990 17 5 22,990 17 Miscellaneous Grants to Councils 5,019 2 11 5,019 2 Reserve for Public Risk and Road Rollor Losses 1.600 0 0 1,500 0 Plant and Other Assets— Plant 177,235 5 6 177,235 5 C Motor cars and cycles 6,940 4 9 6,940 4 9 Land and quarries 4,960 0 0 4,960 0 0 Stores, Materials, increase in Stocks 14,976 10 6 14,976 10 6 Loans repayable—Nett Expenditure— Advances to Councils for roadwork 91,110 10 2 91,110 10 2 24,737 8 9 118,957 17 7 Advances to Councils for plant 94,220 8 10 i Gross Total £ 11 6 I 1,059,215 16 1 2,998 023 7 7 On the 1st July, 1926, a balance of revenue amounting to £1,132,056 0s. 7d., was brought forward which amount added to the revenue of £888,056 "J 3s. 6d., shown above, gave a total sum of £2,020,112 14s. Id., available for expenditure. Of this amount, the amount shown above, £1,938,807 lis. 6d., was expended, thus leaving a balance of £81,305 2s. 7d., available on the 30th June last. As against this balance, and also in anticipation of the receipts for 1927-28, the Board had put works in hand, or promised assistance which would involve a total commitment of £1,059,216 16s. Id.

SUBSIDIES TO AND CONTRIBUTIONS BY COUNCILS. The most important aspect of the expenditure of the Country Main Roads Fund lies in the work of assisting the Country Shire and Municipal Councils by means of subsidies and supervision, to carry out the work of repairs and maintenance on the 12,261 miles of proclaimed main roads situated in the country, i.e., outside the Metropolis and suburbs. Next to that comes the work of assisting the Councils to carry out approved lengths of either new construction or reconstruction. The Councils are invited to submit yearly programmes of maintenance work and construction work separately : and these are examined and approved (after revision where necessary). It is only after full provisions have been made for repairs and maintenance of existing main roads that any question of allotting funds for new construction or reconstruction is considered. Relying upon the progressive increase of revenue to be expected from the steady increase in the number of motor vehicles, the Board decided to increase its assistance to the Councils for the year 1926-27 from the ratio of fifty to fifty adopted last year to the following:— 100 to 50 on Arterial Highways. 75 to 50 on other Main Roads. Notwithstanding the unexpected reduction of its revenue by the Finance (Taxation Management) Act, 1926, the Board succeeded in keeping this promise in relation to all maintenance programmes, but it was not able to provide the money to cover all the new construction proposals submitted to it by Councils during the year, as the result of this increase in the ratio of subsidy. During the year, 162 programmes of maintenance work received from Councils were approved, invol­ ving the provision by the Board of £413,427 and the contribution by Councils of £220,016. These programmes covered a total of 1,930 jobs. Similarly, approval was given for the construction by Councils of 320 different works involving the contribution by the Board of £621,977 and by the Councils of £173,896. The total works carried out, or arranged to be carried out, through the Councils were therefore :—

Jobs. Board's Share- Oouni:iK Share. Toliil.

£ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 413,427 2 3 220,016 4 7 633,443 6 10 621,976 12 11 173,895 12 3 795,872 5 2

Total 1,035,403 15 2 393,911 16 10 1,429,315 12 0 The annual Conference of the Shires Association in May, 1927, passed a resolution urging upon the \ Board the desirableness of dividing the State into districts, placing a qualified Supervising Engineer in each I district and delegating to him the power to deal with and decide local matters in consultation with the X \ Councils on behalf of the Board. There is much to be said for such an arrangement and the proposal is lone that will have the Board's closest attention. f 21

The Board has established a Country Council Branch in its Head Office, with a small staff of engineer*, each of whom takes a separate section of the State and deals with all matters arising between the Board and the Councils in his section. He interviews the Councils and their Officers when they come to Head Office and, as occasion permits, he visits them and inspects their work, thus specialising in the work of one district and getting to know its Councils and Officers, its local conditions and problems. Certain authority to give decisions for the Hoard in respect of questions arising within each district is delegated to these officers, and from time to time, as experience grows, this authority is extended and will again be extended. In this way, the spirit of the Association's request is being met. This organisation has enabled serious arrears of work which existed in this section to be almost wholly overtaken and will result in all being cleared very soon, and from that time onward, the staff will be able to cope with the current work promptly.

WORKS CARRIED OUT BY BOARD. In addition to the subsidising of Councils to enable them to maintain, and progressively to reconstruct their main roads, the Board has itself carried out a number of works of construction and of maintenance, principally in cases where the Councils themselves resigned that work into the Board's hands. The work thus carried out, or arranged to be carried out, by the Board, from the Country Main Roads Fund, is as follows:—

Job>. Council* to ToUl. Contribute. Contrlbul".

£ 8. d. £ b. d. £ a. d. 18.869 9 1 710 1 4 19,379 10 6 1,464.913 1 11 22.786 18 2 1,477,700 0 1

Totals 1,473,682 11 0 < 23,496 19 6 1,497.079 lo .1 GROSS EXPENDITURE AND COMMITMENTS. Taking the work done by Councils and that done by the Board, the total expenditure from the Board's funds was £1,498,003, the commitments to be found by the Board are £1,059,216, and the total to be contri­ buted by the Councils is £417,409, so that the gross value of works carried out and arranged to be carried out on the Country Main Roads was £2,974,628.* The gross number of jobs authorised was 2,281. MAJOR WORKS UNDERTAKEN. It would be quite impracticable to give a detailed list of the whole of the works covered by the Councils and the Board's programmes, and still less to attempt to describe each separate work. It is considered desirable, however, to give some brief particulars of the larger works included in these programmes:— NORTHERN HIGHWAY. (Arterial Road No. bOOl—Main Road* Nos. 160, 159, 96, 96a, and 104.) Erina Shire, Sydney—Newcastle Road—Mooney Section.—The construction of the formation of this road was continued throughout the year. There are now thirteen miles of formation completed and seven miles partly completed, much of it being heavy rock excavation arid deep fillings through mountain country. Preparations are in hand for a bridge over Mooney Mooney Creek.

* This figure includes both the Board's and the Councils' contributions in respoot of roadwork and is not comparable with the total expenditure and eommitmnnts stated on page 20. Tho lottor figure includes misoollaneous expenditure in addition to roadwork. 22

Srina Shire: Sydney-Newcastle Road-Wyong Section.—Preparations for the reconstruction of this road between Wyong and Catherine Hill Bay have been made by the Board's Construction staff. The initial work comprised the construction of a deviation between 13 milee 3,600 feet from Gosford and 16 miles 808 feet, the clearing work for which was completed. At the same time, approximately one mile of the existing road, towards Catherine Hill Bay from the deviation referred to, was widened to a width of 28 feet to enable a 20 feet pavement to be laid. Earthworks, for the purpose of laying a pavement, are at present in progress from Wyong northwards. A depot for aggregate and other materials is being established. Lake Macquarie Shire: Sydney -Newcastle Road-Catherine Hill Bay-Adamstown Section.—The construc­ tion of the deviation at Catherine Hill Bay, mentioned in the previous Annual Report, was put in hand in July, 1926. The length of the work was extended a further 1J miles, making 7| miles in all. A total length of 44 miles was completed and the balance of the construction work is well in hand. The new route, which has been located through country where excellent gravel is obtainable, has a ruling gradient of 1 in 20 (5 per cent.). The survey has been completed between Catherine Hill Bay and Adamstown, and preparations are now being made for the reconstruction of the existing main road in cement concrete, commencing from the boundary of the Municipality of Adamstown and working southwards. On this survey it was found necessary to make deviations at Redhead and Charlestown for the purpose of eliminating either excessive gradients or bad alignment on the existing main road. Adamstown Municipality: Sydney-Newcastle Road, Union Street.—Arrangements have been made between the Board and the Adamstown Municipal Council for the widening of Union-street, Adamstown, to a width of 66 feet, and for the reconstruction of the road. The Council is arranging for the acquisition of the necessary lands and plans and specifications for the reconstruction work are being prepared by the Board. Two-thirds of the cost of resumption and reconstruction of the carriage-way will be provided by the Board. Municipality of Hamilton and Wickham: Main Road No. 104.—Tenders were called for the recon­ struction of this road from kerb to kerb in cement concrete between the boundaries of the City of Newcastle and the Municipality of Waratah—a length of 1 mile, 4,845 feet—the work to provide for a slab of 8 inches in thickness, increasing to 10 inches at the edges. A contract was entered into with Messrs. Court and Braith- waite. Arrangements were made with the Water Board and the Gas Company for the removal of water and gas mains from the carriageway to the footpath before the work was put in hand. At the 30th June, 1927, an area of approximately 8,200 square yards had been laid, and it is anticipated that the contract will be completed early in 1928. Waratah Municipality: Municipal Boundary to Hanbury-street.—The reconstruction in tar macadam of the section in the Municipality of Waratah from the railway bridge at the Waratah—Wickham Municipal Boundary, on the northern side of the tram line, to the tram terminus at Hanbury-street, a length of 4,488 feet, was finally completed in December, 1926. The work was carried out by the Waratah Municipal Council with day labour. Tarro Shire: Main Road No. 104, Newcastle-Maitland Road.—At the 30th June, 1926, the Board had in hand the reconstruction of this road from the boundary of the Municipality of Waratah to Iron Bark Creek Bridge, a total length of 3 miles 21 chains. The work was completed. The class of construction allowed for a foundation 8 inches thick, after consolidation, of 4 inch gauge slag, covered by a wearing course of 3J inches of penetration tar slag. A second section of 4J miles between Iron Bark Creek Bridge and Tarro was put in hand by the Board's construction staff. Where the existing road crosses the swampy country near Hexham, the foundation course was strengthened by 2J inch slag and reinforced with steel fabric. The class of construction employed on the second section was premixed tar macadam which was tar sealed throughout. The work was nearing completion at 30th June 1927, except for a short length near the level crossing at Hexham Railway Station. During the year two heavy floods occurred and the greater portion of the construction was under wate*^. Considerable damage was caused to the shoulders and slopes of the road by live stock being travelled from Maitland tu the Newcastle Abattoirs. Tarro Shire: Newcastle-Maitland Road, Section from 7 miles 67 chains to 10 miles 48 chains.—The construction by Tarro Shire Council, of a length of 2 miles 4,026 feet on the Newcastle-Maitland Road, which joigs up with the construction work carried out by the Board, was completed by the Council during the year. The tjafevoi jjonstruction adopted was tar penetration macadam with a foundation course of 8 inches consolidated thickness and a wearing course 3£ inches deep. The Council agreed to repay one- third of the cost over a period of "twelve years with interest at 5i_ per cent, per annum. •£ast'M94tland Municipality: Section, Tarro Shire Boundary to Porter's Avenue.-—In East Maitland, the reconstruction of the section between the Tarro Shire Boundary and Porter's Avenue, a length of 2,376 feet in premixed tar macadam, wfts commenced in December, 1926, and is nearing completion. The estimated cost of £6,545 includes provision for the acquisition of land for the purpose of re-locating portion of the road. The Board is advancing the whole of this amount in the first instance and allowing the Council ten years in which to repay one-third. The work is being carried out by the Council by day labour. Kearsley Shire.—In the Kearsley Shire, the construction of the section of the Northern Highway between Lochinvar and Harper's Hill, a length of 6,476 feet, which was referred to in the last annual report, was completed during the year. The regrading at Harper's Hill, involving the reconstruction of a length of 5,600 feet, was also completed. The type of construction adopted was a foundation course 8 inches deep of waterbound macadam with a wearing course 3 inches deep of tar penetration macadam, between LocWvar and Harper's Hill, the section at Harper's Hill being surfaced with tar. The work was carried out under the supervision of the Shire Engineer, who prepared the proposals. Patrick Plains Shire.—Mention was made in the last annual report that arrangements had been made with the Patrick Plains Shire Council for the construction of a length of 11,913 feet involving deviations for the improvement of the gradients at Dead man's, Wiseman's and Red post Hills on the Northern Highway. This work was completed during the year and the road was opened for traffic in December, 1926. White conglomerate gravel was used throughout the work, which has been well consolidated and resulted in a very good surface. 23

tipper Hunter Shire.—A deviation of this section of the Northern Highway has been surveyed between Scone and Wingen, with a view to eliminating two very dangerous level crossings on the Northern Railway line in the vicinity of the 204 mile peg. These crossings have been the scene of several accidents, and special attention is necessary to safeguard the travelling public. A route has been located wholly on the one side of railway line, and although two crossings of Kingdon Ponds Creek are involved, the length of the road will not be increased. The alignment will be considerably improved and the gradients will be very easy. It is hoped that finances will enable the work to be put in hand early in the coming year. Warrah Shire: Warfand's Range Deviation.—On the Northern Highway the Board, in continuance of its policy of improving gradients, has put in hand a deviation to eliminate an excessively steep climb over Warland's Range. A route has been located slightly longer than the existing road, which reduces the gradient of 1 in 4 (25 per cent.), which traffic has been negotiating in the past, to a ruling gradient of 1 in 17 (5-9 per cent.) The greater part of the new route, moreover, does not exceed a gradient of 1 in 20 (5 per cent.), and a ruling radius of curvature of 300 feet has been maintained. The old road crossed the Northern Railway line at Blandford by a level crossing, which has been the scene of accidents. This will now be done away with, as on the new route the line will be crossed by an overhead bridge. % The work was commenced in November, 1926 and the earth works are well in hand. The formation allows for a width of 28 feet with gravel pavement 20 feet wide. Considerable deposits of good river gravel are available within a short distance from the work : and tbis»is being used as a base course spread to a depth of 7 inches and surfaced with ridge gravel to a consolidated thickness of 3 inches. Armidale Municipality; Marsh Street Bridge.—The Board gave consideration to the question of the building of a new bridge on the site of the old structure over Dumaresq Creek in Marsh-street, Armidale. The existing structure had gone beyond the stage where any repairs would have been effective and the Board accordingly approved of the erection of a new reinforced concrete bridge, 170 feet long. Tenders were called for the work, which comprised the demolition of the existing bridge, the erection of the new structure, formation of the approaches, and ordnance fencing where required. The tender of the State Monier Pipe and Reinforced Concrete Works was accepted on the 31st March, 1927. The work, which is nearing completion, is being carried out under the supervision,of one of the Board's engineers loaned to the Council. GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY.

(Arterial Road No. 5005: Main Road No. 84.) Turori Shire: Main Road No. 84—Western Highway.—In the Turon Shire, a programme of maintenance in the nature of re-sheeting has been approved by the Board and is being carried out by the Council. A survey has been commenced with a view to reconstruction as and when arrangements can be made and the funds provided. It has been found necessary to relocate sections of the road in order to eliminate excessive grades and faulty alignment. . Cobbora Shire.—The reconstruction of a length of I mile 3,000 feet of the Western Highway, from' the Wellington Bridge towards Dubbo, has been undertaken by the Cobbora Shire Council, the Board contributing two-thirds of the cost. From the end of this section the road is being deviated through Gobolion, the deviation entailing approximately 2 miles of new construction. The Council is also carrying out this work, the whole of the cost being provided by the Board in the first instance and the Council repaying one-third over a term of years. The type of construction in each case is premixed bituminous macadam. The plans and specifications for the work were prepared by the Council's Engineer. Designs have been prepared for a further section of reconstruction from the end of the Gobolion deviation (3 miles 2,981 feet) to 10 miles 3,800 feet, and for another deviation near Geurie, proposals for which are under consideration. Timbrebongie Shire.—In Timbrebongie Shire, the Council has undertaken the reconstruction of the Western Highway from Brummagem Bridge to the Marthaguy Shire boundary—a distance of approxi­ mately 40 miles. This work entails 1"3J miles of new formation, the regrading of old formations and the gravelling of sections aggregating 30J miles. The work has been estimated to cost £21,735, of which the Board has agreed to provide two-thirds. About two-thirds of the work have been completed to date. Macguarie Shire: Newrea Bridge.—Early in 1926, the bridge over the Bell River at Newrea, 12 ' miles from the town of Wellington was destroyed by flood, and plans and specifications for the erection of a new structure were prepared by the Macquarie Shire Council in July, 1926 and submitted to the Board. Tenders were called for the work, and that of the McLean Construction Company of £5,632 2s. 6d. for the construction of a reinforced concrete bridge was accepted in January, 1927. The bridge has now been completed and the construction of the approaches is proceeding, at;an estimated cost of £2,193. The Board is advancing the total estimated cost of £7,825.2s. 6d., in the first instance and allowing the Council twenty years in which to repay one-third, with interest at 5J per cent, per annum. GREAT SOUTHERN HIGHWAY, r- (Arterial Road No. 5002, Main Roads Nos. 23 and 26.) Picton Municipality.—The construction of the section of the Southern Highway in the Picton Municipality was carried out by the Department of Public Works as referred to in the last Annual Report. No further construction work has since been necessary in this Municipality. The Council has requested the Board to undertake the maintenance work with its own staff. The approval of the Executive Council . " has been obtained to the Board carrying out the work, and the necessary arrangements are now in hand. Wollondilly Shire: Southern Highway—Reconstruction between Picton and Yanderra.—The Board has, with its own staff, plant, and men, been actively engaged during the past year in the reconstruction of this section of the Southern Highway. The work commenced at the southern boundary of the Picton Municipality and 6 miles of the road have been completed towards the village of BargO: As far as practicable, the old roadway has been used as a base, and by scarifying, reforming and regrading the subgrade was formed on which the new pavement was laid, 20 feet wide, to a depth of 9 inches with shoulders'

4 feet wide. The class of construction is a foundation course consisting of two layers (each of 3 inches : depth) of 2£ inch metal consolidated in accordance with the Board's specification, with a wearing -course*' 24

of premixed bituminous macadam 3 inches thick, consolidated and sealed. For a distance of about \\ miles (through the village of Tahmoor) the wearing course laid was penetration bituminous macadam. The alignment of the road has been improved and numerous small curves straightened. The resumption of several small strips of land was necessary to effect this improvement. The regrading has removed many steep inclines, the steepest gradient now being 1 in 20 (5 per cent.), and great improvement has been made in the visibility at curves and at the summits of gradients. The pipe line of Picton water supply, which ran under the roadway for 2\ miles, was removed to the side, thus doing away with the possibility of damage to the new pavement from leaks, etc. In addition to the building of a number of culverts on this road, the bridge oveT the Bargo River has been repaired and strengthened, and is now in good condition. The bridge over Myrtle Creek (between Picton and Tahmoor) is to be repaired, improved by raising 3 feet, and widened to 20 feet. The reconstruction of this road is still in hand, and during the coming year will be carried to completion to Yanderra at the Southern boundary of the Wollondilly Shire. Nattai Shire.—During the year the work of reconstruction of the Southern Highway in Nattai Shire has been continued by the Shire Council, and the construction in bituminous penetration macadam of the length of 7 miles to the northern boundary of the Mittagong Municipality will, it is anticipated, be com­ pleted shortly. South of Mittagong, work has proceeded on the route via Bowral and Moss Vale, it having been decided to reconstruct this route before that running through Berrima. Reconstruction between 1 mile and 4 miles 25 chains from Bowral towards Moss Vale has been completed during -the year. 1 Mittagong Municipality.—Arrangements have been made with the Mittagong Municipal Council for the reconstruction of part of the Great Southern Road and the road from Mittagong to Bowral and Moss Vale, the proposed type of construction being similar to that adopted in the Nattai Shire adjoining. Everything is ready to commence when sufficient funds are available to enable an allotment to be made for this work. Wingecarribee Shire.—The reconstruction of the Southern Highway through Wingecarribee Shire" has been continued by the Shire Council. The construction of the length from Cross Roads to Paddy s River, 2 miles 1,320 feet of premixed bituminous macadam, and 4 miles 2,640 feet of gravel sheeting, ha\e been completed. Mulwaree Shire.—In Mulwaree Shire, between Uringalla Creek and Marulan, preparations are in hand for the reconstruction, in cement concrete, of a 5-mile section by the Council. Plans and specifi­ cations for the work were prepared by the Shire Engineer, Mr. L. M. Ord, and tenders will shortly be called for. Tar painting of a further length of 10 miles 17J chains between Goulburn and Marulan, which had been resheeted with gravel pending more permanent reconstruction, has now been carried out by the Council; and south of Goulburn further tar surfacing of gravel resheeted road for a length of 11 miles 64 chains has been done. Gunning Shire: Breadalbane—Cullerin Deviation.—Between Breadalbane and Cullerin, the existing roarl crosses the Great Southern Railway twice, and also crosses Mutmutbilly Creek at a point where the banks are very often submerged during floods. Investigations have been made, and a new route located, which is 1 mile shorter than the old road and will avoid both the level crossings. A good site has been obtained for bridging Mutmutbilly Creek, and no section of the road will now be affected by the overflow from this Creek. The gradients of the new route are well within the Board's standards and the alignment is excellent. The Board put in hand the construction of this deviation with its own plant and men in November, 1926. Good progress has been made with the formation work, drainage, and the installation of culverts, and the whole of this section is practically ready for temporary pavement, which will consist of ridge gravel and decomposed granite. When the banks have consolidated sufficiently, consideration will.be given to the laying of a hard pavement. | The deviation above mentioned will be continued towards Gunning to reduce the heavy gradients and avoid the dangerous curves on the existing road, especially those where the road crosses the railway line, in one case by an overhead bridge and in another by a subway. For the purpose of the deviation, an abandoned railway line will be utilised. The gradients will be excellent, not exceeding 1 in 20 (5 per centj.), and the radius of curvature will not be less than 300 feet.

THE PRINCE'S HIGHWAY. (Arterial Road No. 5001—Main Roads Nos. 17, 18, and 1.) j Bulli Shire.—At the foot of Bulli Pass, in the Shire of Bulli, the Prince's Highway leaves the county of Cumberland, and extensive works have been carried out on this section of the road during the year, the cost of which is a charge against the. Country Main Roads Fund and the local Council. The reconstruction of this highway, from the Bulli Pass to the Southern boundary of the Bulli Shire, referred to in the last Annual Report, was completed. The length of the work was 2 miles 1,240 feet. The construction was in bituminous penetration macadam to a depth of 3 inches on an 8-inch Telford base course. The work was carried out by the Bulli Shire Council, under the supervision of an engineer lent by the Board. North Illawarra Municipality.—The reconstruction of the section of Prince's Highway in North Illawarra, a length of 3 miles 4,160 feet, was commenced in April, 1926, and was completed during 1927, with j the exception of a concrete bridge at Angel Creek. The work was carried out by day labour by the Board's Staff, and the type of construction adopted was similar to that carried out in the Bulli Shire. WoUongong Municipality,—The Prince's Highway enters the Municipality of Wollongong by a bridge over Fairy Creek, which constitutes the boundary between the Municipalities of North Illawarra and Wol-4 longong. The Board arranged with the two Councils to replace this structure (known as Bode's Bridge) by the construction of a reinforced concrete bridge, and tenders were called for the work. The tender of the State Monier Pipe Works was accepted on 28th August, 1926, and the work was oompleted on the 31st March, 1927, at a cost of £2,537 8s., of which the Counoils, concerned will pay one-half. . 25.

In Wollongong, the section of the Prince's Highway from Bode's Bridge to Crown-street was completed in March, 1927. The reconstruction was carried out in penetration bituminous macadam by the local Council, the total length being 4,127 feet. The reconstruction of Crown-street West, from Gladstone-avenue to Powell-street, a length of 4,758 feet, was also carried out by the Council with a 3-inch bitumen penetration macadam surface course, on an 8 inch Telford base course. The work was commenced in March, 1927, and was incomplete at 30th June. From Powell-street to the Mount Keira Road, there is a short setion, which forms the boundary between the Municipalities of Wollongong and Central Illawarra, remaining to be done and the Board proposes to undertake, with its own staff, the reconstruction of this short length as an extension of the work in the Municipality of Central Illawarra, provided the two Councils concerned will contribute their share of the cost.

Central Illawarra Municipality.—The survey of the Prince's Highway in the Municipality of Central Illawarra has been completed from the Wollongong Municipal boundary to the Macquarie Rivulet. A concrete bridge over Mullet Creek at Brownsville had, some years ago, been constructed at a skew to the alignment, creating a very dangerous bend. A small resumption has been made at this point, and the old road has been replaced by an easy curve with a straight of 75 feet directly on to the bridge. The road south of Dapto crosses the summit of Mount Brown and an investigation was made to improve the gradients of 1 in 10 (10 per cent.) to 1 in 13 (7-7 per cent.) A. new route has been located, on which'the gradients do not exceed 1 in 20 (5 per cent.) and which does not appreciably increase the length of the road. At Yallah, the old road crosses the South Coast Railway line by a level crossing. A small deviation is being made, and this dangerous crossing will be replaced by an overhead bridge. The work of reconstruction was commenced by day labour in September, 1926, a start being made on the earthworks of the Mount Brown deviation. This was followed by the establishment of a depot at Unanderra, and on the 2nd May a start was made on the reconditioning of the road between the Wollongong boundary and Mullet Creek. On the 1st June another section of reconditioning was commenced at Dapto. The gradients on the old road, with the exception of Mount Brown, were generally very good, and it was intended to surface the old metalled road with 1J inches of premixed bituminous macadam. It was found, however, that the demand for the required small gauge metal seriously affected the working of the quarries, and left a surplus of 2^-inch gauge stone that was not marketable by itself. Furthermore, it was not prac­ ticable, under ruling conditions, to supply the small gauge material in sufficient quantities to keep a plant working continuously. The Board decided, therefore, to divide the work into two sections, the premixed bituminous macadam being confined to the Southern portion, whilst the Northern section is being constructed in penetration bituminous macadam, absorbing the supplies of 2^-inch gauge stone, and thereby balancing the output of the quarries. Except on the deviation, the old. road on the Southern section is being scarified and graded to the standard cross section for a 20-foot pavement and carpeted with 3 inches of premixed bituminous macadam. On the deviation, the same class of pavement is being built on an 8-inch Telford base course. The penetration work on the Northern section is being carried out to the Board'B standard specification for that class of construction, the old macadam being used as a base after scarifying, reshaping, and strengthening.

Prince's Highway : Municipalities of Shellharbour, Kiama, Gerringong, Berry.—Within these Muni­ cipalities no reconstruction, work on the Prince's Highway has been undertaken as yet, but a survey is being carried out by the Board with a view to relocation of the route where desirable. The survey is proceeding southwards from Macquarie Rivulet towards Kiama. At Oak Flats and Shellharbour, however, the road crosses the railway by two level, crossings. Investigations are now in h^nd with a view to avoiding these danger spots, reducing the gradients, which in places are as steep as 1 in 8, and shortening the length. It is anticipated that the Board's endeavours in each of these respects will be fully successful. Small surveys have also been carried out in the Municipalities of Kiama, Berry, and Nowra. Pending reconstruction of the road, the local Councils are being assisted to carry out maintenance works with the object of keeping the road in tratTicable condition.

Nowra ami South Shoalharen Municipalities.—In last year's report, mention was made of the reconstruc­ tion of a portion of the Prince's Highway in Nowra and South Shoalhaven by the Public Works Department of the State. During the year now under review, it was found necessary to surface this with a 2-inch course of premixed bituminous macadam, in order to protect it from the effect of the'wheels of heavy timber jinkers. The Board, therefore, after negotiation, secured the transfer of the power of maintenance from the Councils and an agreement from the Councils to share the cost, and carried out this work.

Clyde Shire.—The reconstruction and maintenance of the Prince's Highway, passing through this Shire, were transferred by the Council to the Board in October, 1926, upon the Council agreeing to contribute towards the cost of the work an amourt equal to the yield of |d. in the £ on the unimproved capital value of the ratable land in the Shire. The resurfacing carried out in Nowra and South Shoalhaven Municipalities, southwards from Nowra, with premixed bituminous macadam, has been continued in this Shire, and up to the 30th June a length of 154 chains was completed at a cost of £9,504, which included forming, trimming, sealing, &c, the pavement being constructed to a width of 18 feet. A further extension of this work southwards has since been authorised and is now in progress. The maintenance work in this Shire iB being carried out by the Board's staff and plant throughout the full length of the road, and the expenditure during the year was £8,532,

Eurobodalla Shire.—At the 30th June, 1927, negotiations were in progress between the Board and the Eurobodalla Shire Council with a view to the Board undertaking the reconstruction and maintenance of the Prince's Highway in this Shire on similar terms to the Clyde Shire. Since that date, the negotiations have been finalised, and work by the Board's staff is now in progress. 26

tmlay Shire.—On the Board's early inspection of the main roads in the South Coast Districts, the Prince's Highway received special consideration. Previously, funds had been allocated for reconditioning several portions in the Imlay Shire from Commonwealth-cum-State Votes, but no work had been put in hand. It was accordingly arranged to devote these grants to commencing the reconstruction of the road from the Bega end. The survey was put in hand, and it was found that several deviations were required to avoid abnormal gradients on the existing road and places which were subject to flooding from the Bega River. A satisfactory route was found by survey and the work of construction was commenced by contract ^ in March, 1926. The type of construction adopted is a formation 28 feet wide with a 20 foot gravel wearing course. At the 30th June, formation had been completed between 2 miles 3,637 feet and 5 miles 600 feet, including three major culverts. The second section from 5 miles 600 feet to 9 miles was commenced with the Board's own staff in February, 1927, for a similar type of construction. This work has consisted of deviations through private property, necessitating several resumptions. The earthworks of this section are well advanced but the procedure for resumption is slow, and it is probable that when the work is finished it will not be possible to open it immediately for public use because of resumption delays. Plans are in hand for the construction of a concrete bridge, 200 feet in length, over Wolumla Back Creek in addition to the three major culverts.

THE NORTH COAST HIGHWAY: . . (e) (Arterial Road No. 5009). Main Roads Nos. 109, 113, 117, 152, 153, 146, 143 and 142a.

Surveys in preparation for future possible reconstruction of portions of this highway were carried out during the year. The Board has assisted the Councils concerned in the maintenance of the highway, and considerable lengths have been materially improved, some of the work being of a character almost to warrant classification under the heading of reconstruction. Short sections of new construction have been carried out by Councils with the Board's assistance. The reconstruction of the length of 8 miles 64 chains between Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads, in the Tweed Shire, for which an amount of £44,000 was made available from the Commonwealth-cum-State vote, 1924-25, was referred to in the last annual report. This work, which consisted of the strengthening 1 of the existing foundation and superimposing thereon a wearing course of penetration bituminous macadam i was completed by the contractor, Mr. €. W. Phillips, in June, 1927. The Tweed Shire Council submitted ,a proposal for the continuation of the work carried out under Mr. Phillips' contract. The type of con­ struction proposed on this further section from the end of Phillips' contract at Stott's Island towards 'Chinderah was cement concrete. The Board was prepared to advance the whole of the cost, which was 'estimated at roughly £32,000, in the first instance and allow the Council a period of twelve years in which to repay one-third, with interest at the ruling Treasury rate, but the Council could not see its way clear to carry on the proposed work on these terms. The money was therefore utilised elsewhere.

1 VARIOUS COUNTRY MAIN ROAD WORKS. Blaxland Shire: Main Road 83, Mudgee Road, Lidsdale Deviation.—From the Lithgow municipal boundary, the road to Lidsdale and Mudgee was, at the commencement of the Board's operations, a gravel toad which had fallen into disrepair, and it was decided to commence the reconstruction of the worst section between Marangaroo Creek and Lidsdale as soon as the necessary survey could be completed. Several steep gradients and sharp bends existed on the old road, and small deviations were necessary. The new gradients are within the standards adopted, and a good alignment has been obtained. The work of con­ struction was commenced in October, 1926, by day-labour, with the Board's own plant. The road has been formed to a width of 28 feet, and it is proposed to lay a concrete pavement 20 feet wide when the embankments have sufficiently consolidated. A quarry has been opened up close'by and two crushing units are being installed which, when in full operation, will have an output of 200 cubic yards per day. The latest type of plant consisting of compound air compressors, drills, etc., has been installed for the more efficient working of the quarry. Water is pumped from Marangaroo Creek to a tank on the highest point on the road near the old Marangaroo railway tunnel. From this tank, water is gravitated for a distance of two miles along the Mudgee Road, and for a distance of 3J miles on Main Road 83a, described in a later paragraph. Water for the remaining length of the work to Lidsdale is obtained from the Railway Connnis- sioners' train. A paving machine having a capacity of 27 cubic feet per batch has been installed, and the pavement will be commenced early next year. The whole of the earthwork grading has been completed, arid the work of boxing and trimming, in preparation for the concrete pavement, is well in hand,

i Blaxland Shire: Main Road No. 83ft, Cox River Deviation.—In pursuance of a scheme to improve thfe main roads in the vicinity of Wallerawang, a survey was made of a connecting road from the Lithgow- Mudgee Road to the Western Highway. For a length of one mile, the route follows the old Lithgow- Wallerawang Road, and then traverses virgin country to meet the Western Highway at a point about 3 miles westerly from Rydal. With the exception of a small section of 1 in 17 (5*9 per cent.), the gradients do not exceed 1 in 20, and a minimum radius of curvature of 300 feet has been maintained. The work includes the construction of a bridge across the Cox River at 1 mile 4,000 feet and an overhead bridge across the Western Railway at 6 miles, the designs for which are being prepared. The work of construction was commenced in December, 1926, by day-labour. Several camps were established, and water supplies were obtained by pumping from Marangaroo Creek on the Lithgow-Mudgee Road. The class of country traversed is generally of a granite nature, and the road is being formed to a width of 28 feet. It is intended to prepare the formation for a temporary surface of decomposed granite until the embankments have consolidated sufficiently to warrant laying down a permanent pavement. The total length to be constructed is 12 miles.

I •21

Cox's River Deviation Formation completed.

Central Illawarra: Uollongong-Port Kembla Road.—In 1925,a survey was made of the road from Tom Thumb Lagoon to Port Kembla in the Municipality of Central Illawarra with a view to eliminating that portion subject to floods, and to providing increased headway under the bridge on the Public Works Department's loop line of railway between the marshalling yards and the No. 1 Jetty. The work of re­ construction was commenced in August, 1926. An old formation was used for a length of 1,662 feet to avoid a flooded section : and this enabled the gradient on the approach to the overhead bridge spanning the Mount Kembla Coal Co's railway line to be reduced from 1 in 10 (10 per cent.) to 1 in 15 (6-7 per cent). A total length of 1 mile 2,713 feet has been formed to a width of 26 feet, and a pavement eighteen feet in width, consisting of 3 inches of bituminous penetration macadam on an eight (8) inch broken stone base course has been constructed. Lake Road, Cessnock to Toronto.—For some years before the formation of the Board, the people of the great coalfields between Cessnock and Maitland have agitated for the provision of a main road to give them direct access to Lake Macquarie. The Board has proposed to meet this public need by the proclamation of a new main road (Lake Road) from Cessnock to Toronto: but the project is delayed by the fact that one of the interested Councils, that of Tarro Shire, has exercised its right to appeal to the Minister under Section 44 of the Main Roads Act, 1924; and the decision upon that appeal has not yet been given. Lake Road, Lake Macquarie Shire, Auaba to Toronto.—Notwithstanding the delay in dealing with the major section of the Lake Road project, the Government, on the recommendation of the Board, proclaimed as a main road the section from Awaba to Toronto, about 4 miles in length. The Lake Macquarie Shire Council requested the Board to carry out the work. Surveys were accordingly made by the Board's staff, plans prepared and construction commenced in February, 1927. It is proposed, for a commencement, to lay an 18 feet conglomerate gravel pavement on a 26 ft. wide earth formation. On the 30th June, 1927, a sum of £3,245 had been expended and the work was well forward. Municipality of WaUsend and Shire of Tarro: Wallsend-Minmi Road, (Main Road No. 107).—The reconstruction of this road in gravel between 0 m. 1300 feet and 4m. 2100 feet for a distance of 4m. 1200 feet was put in hand by the Board's staff in October, 1926. The work has been practically completed except for a short section near the summit of Murphy's Hill. This portion of the work has been left uncompleted on account of mine workings which were found within 20 feet of the surf ace. Arrangements were made with the mining company to remove the props to permit of subsidence, and when the total subsidence has taken place and the roadway has consolidated the work will be completed. Mulwaree Shire: Main Road No. 16, Ooulburn-Queanbeyan Road.—The Board arranged with the Mulwaree Shire Council for the resurfacing of this road in preparation for the extensive traffic which it was anticipated would use the road at the opening of the Federal Parliament by His Royal Highness the Duke of York, on the 9th May, 1927. This temporary resurfacing was carried out over the length of 31m. 62 chains by the Council under the direct supervision of the shire engineer, Mr. Ord. In the course of this work, no less than 62 vee-gutters were taken out and either concrete or pipe culverts substituted. •28

Yarrowlumla Shire: Goulhum to Queanbeyan Road.—There are 18 miles of the Goulburn to jueanbsyan Road in this Shire. The Board approached the Council to bring about an improvement prior 0 the opening of the Commonwealth Parliament in the new capital. Eventually it was arranged that the work be financed by the Board and carried out for the Yarrowlumla Council by the Mulwaree Shire engineer, in continuation of the work being done by that Shire. Vee-gutters to the number of eleven were removed and culverts constructed in lieu, and the whole length of the road was hastily reconditioned.

Shire of Erina: Main Road No. 95, Wiseman's Ferry to Gosford.—The road from Wiseman's Ferry to Gosford in the Shire of Erina ascends the range dividing Mangrove Creek and the Macdonald River mmediately on leaving the ferry, and after following the top of the range for some distance descends to Mangrove Creek by way of Ten Mile Hollow. The ascent of Mangrove Mountain itself is then made, and traffic is compelled to negotiate two very dangerous hairpin bends. The country traversed is extremely rugged and is suitable for settlement of any kind throughout the 16£ miles from the ferry to Mangrove Creek. The lack of suitable road-making material in the near vicinity and the torrential rains to which the locality is, at times, subjected, make effective maintenance a very difficult problem. Consideration was therefore given to an alternative route wo Spencer and Green's Wharf. It was found that excellent gradients and good alignment were available, but that the length would be increased to some extent. The road at present is in the nature of a bridle track in places, but if properly constructed will provide a 1 top gear " road to Gosford. More important, too, such a route would serve many settlers who have at present only very rough tracks as access to their properties; and would, at the same time, give the through traveller the advantage of one of the most beautiful stretches of river scenery in the State. The benefits to be gained by such a route were self evident and on the 27th May, 1927, the old road was de-proclaimed and a new road from Wiseman's Ferry via Spencer and Green's Wharf proclaimed a main road in its stead. The survey of the road will be put in hand early in the the New Year, and will be immediately olio wed by preliminary construction of earth formation and gravelling.

Imlay Shire: Bega Tathra Road.—An amount of £28,000 was allotted from the Commonwealth Vote of 1925-26 for the strengthening and reconditioning of existing main roads, for expenditure on the reconstruction of the Bega-Tathra Road (Main Road No. 6). The work was divided into four sections having a total length of 4 miles 5,120 feet, and tenders were called for the reconstruction to a width of 18 feet. The tenders of Mr. Armstrong for Sections 1 and 2, and those of Mr. James for Sections 3 and 4 were accepted in December 1926, the total amount of the contracts being £31,500 2s. 6d. The type of construction adopted is water bound macadam, on broken stone base course, and a surface course of bitumen penetration on Section 4, the remaining sections being tar-surfaced.

Dorrigo Shire.: Coff's Harbour- Woolgoolga.—The reconstruction of a length of 5 miles 3 chains on the Coff's Harbour-Woolgoolga Road (Main Road No. 122) from Coff's Harbour Post Office towards Woolgoolga was carried out during the year with funds amounting to £20,000, provided from the Common­ wealth-cum-State Vote 1924-25. The reconstruction included clearing, to a width of 66 feet, grading, draining, scarifying, reforming, and metalling to a width of 16 feet, and was completed in August, 1927, being carried out partly by contract and partly by the Council with day-labour. The Dorrigo Shire Council has submitted a proposal for the extension of this construction, and plans and specifications have been prepared for the construction of a further length of lmile 14 chains, estimated to cost £6,333. The work will be put in hand as funds permit.

Jemalong Shire Council: Grenfell-Forbes Road.—An amount of £5,000 was made available to the .Temalong Shire Council from the 1925-26 Commonwealth-cum-State Vote for expenditure on construction work on Main Road No. 55, commencing about 19 J miles from Forbes and extending for a length of 3 miles towards Forbes along the old Grenfell-Forbes Road. The work, which comprised in all 3 miles 12 chains of flat country formation and decomposed granite gravel, was carried out by the Council by day-labour, and has been very satisfactorily completed. The road has been well consolidated and is a particularly fast running one, cars being able to attain a speed of up to 50 miles per hour. Although the work was completed in May, 1927, it has cost the Council practically nothing for maintenance since that date, thus exemplifying the great economy in the construction of this type of road in the country districts.

Erina Shire.—Arrangements were made with the Erina Shire Council for the construction in tar penetration macadam of a central strip, 20 feet wide on Main-street in the town of Wyong and Mann-stiwt, Gosford. The work which covered a total length of 58 chains was completed by the Shire Council in October, 1927, the Board contributing two thirds of the cost of the central strip, the Council providing the balance together with the whole cost of the side strips to kerbs.

Terania Shire.—The reconstruction of the Nimbin Road, in 3-inch bituminous penetration macadam on a 7 inch base course, was commenced by the Terania Shire Council in June, 1927. The length to be constructed is 14,400 feet, the pavement being 16 feet wide. The whole cost is being provided by the Board and the Shire Council will repay one-half over a period of seven years with interest at 51 per cent, per annum. The work is now well in hand.

Kyogle Shire.—The Richmond River is crossed by the Bean Tree Bridge about 8 miles north of Kyogle on the Kyogle-Woodenbong Road (Main Road No. 140). The old low level structure was built i I 1891 and carried a considerable volume of heavy timber traffic. The Board arranged with the Kyogle Shire Council for tho erection of a new bridge of one composite truss span of 99 feet 9 inches and eight timber beam spans. Tenders were called for this work which included the formation and the fencing of the approaches and that of Mr. W. F. Oakes, for an amount of £7,746 10s. 0d., was accepted on the 14th April, 1927. Tho Board is advancing the whole cost and allowing the Council to repay one-half in fifteen years with interest at 5i per cent, per annum. The work is well in hand. 29

Dalgety Shire.-—An amount of £4,500 was made available to the Dalgety Shire Council for expenditure on reconstruction work on the Gundagai-Tumut Road. The work which comprises 17,000 feet of forming, grading and gravelling and the construction of 28 pipe culverts, is being carried out by the Council by day- labour. Byron Shire.—The reconstruction in waterbound macadam, tar-surfaced and the construction of 7 pipe culverts on a length of 1 mile 1,100 feet on the Mullumbimby-Tyagarah Road was authorised by the Board in January, 1927. The work which is estimated to cost £7,243 6s. Od. is being carried out by the Byron Shire Council with day-labour and is nearing completion. Bellingen Shire.-—The section of the Dorrigo-Bellingen Road (Main Road No. 119) traversing the Dorrigo Mountain was, owing to its narrowness, sharp bends and rough surface, very dangerous to traffic and numerous accidents had occurred on this particular section. Following representations made by the Bellingen Shire Council, the Board authorised the widening and reconstruction in waterbound macadam, the improvement of the visibility at the dangerous curves and the installation of culverts and subsoil drains on the section between 15 miles 25 chains and 16 miles 37 chains. The total length of the recon­ struction is 91 chains and is being carried out by the Shire Council with day-labour. The work was commenced in February 1927. and is well advanced. West Maitland.-—The reconstruction in tar penetration macadam of a length of 157 chains in the Maitland-Kurri Kurri Road (Main Road No. 98) between 1 mile 57 chains and 2 miles 78 chains and between 3 miles 9 chains and 3 miles 45 chains was authorised by the Board in October, 1926. The work is being carried out by the Council by day-labour. Arrangements were also made in October, 1926, for the recon­ ditioning of a further length of 187 chains. Nattai Shire.-—Another road which is greatly used by tourist traffic is the Wombeyan Caves Road and the Board arranged for the widening of the cuttings from Wombeyan Caves to the Wollondilly River and from the Wollondilly River to the 24J mile-post. The work is being carried out by the Nattai Shire Council. Deniliquin Municipality.—The reconstruction in waterbound macadam between Moran's Bridge and Deniliquin on the Moama-Hay Road (Main Road No. 47) was authorised by the Board in November, 1926, and is being carried out under a contract let by the Council, the length to be reconstructed being 1 mile 1,386 feet. Wollondilly Shire.—The construction of deviations of the Maldon-Appin Road on both sides of the Nepean River at Maldon was authorised in the previous year. The deviation on the Maldon side was completed in May, 1926, while that on the Wilton side, having a length of 4,326 feet and comprising clearing, forming, gravelling. &c. was completed in September, 1927. The construction of both these deviations was carried out by the Wollondilly Shire Council with day-labour, the Board providing the necessary funds, half of which will be repaid by the Council over a term of years with interest at 5| per cent, per annum. Merewether, Adamstown, and Hamilton Municipalities.—It was intimated in the last annual report that the Glebe-Adamstown Road had been proclaimed a Main Road. At the time of its proclamation (25th May, 1926) the road was in a deplorable condition and the necessary negotiations with the Councils of the Municipalities of Merewether, Adamstown, and Hamilton having been completed, its reconstruction in tar penetration macadam, for a length of 1 mile 4,149 feet, was authorised in August, 1926. The work is being carried out by the Merewether Council acting on behalf of Councils concerned, all of which have agreed to repay a portion of the cost. The work was incomplete at 30th June, 1927.

VEHICULAR FERRIES ON MAIN ROADS. As was intimated in the last annual report, the Board has given consideration to the question of assis­ ting Councils in country districts in the provision of new ferry punts where needed on proclaimed main roads and also in the installation of mechanical power on existing hand-geared punts. Bateman's Bay Ferry Punt.—On the Prince's Highway, the Board arranged for the provision of a new 60 feet by 28 feet oil-driven vehicle punt at Bateman's Bay to replace the existing punt which had been running for over eleven years without any extensive overhaul and which was in an unsafe condition. Tenders were called for the work, which comprised the construction and delivery at Bateman's Bay of the new vehicular ferry punt and its maintenance and operation for a period of one month. The acceptance of the tender of Messrs. Dunne and Christensen for £2,470 9s. 6d., was recommended on the 10th May, 1927. The work, which is being carried out under the supervision of the Shire Engineer was commenced in July, 1927, and is progressing satisfactorily. The Board is finding the full amount of £2,470 9s. 6d. in the first instance, and allowing the Eurobodalla Shire Council ten years in which to repay its share. Wiseman's Ferry Punt.—At Wiseman's Ferry, the traffic was conveyed across the Hawkesbury River by. a hand-geared punt under the joint control of the Colo, Erina, Hornsby, and Baulkham Hills Shire Councils. The Board was of the opinion that the old punt was in urgent need of repairs, that it was too small for the traffic and that there might even be actual public danger in allowing its use to continue. Therefore, although the Board has no responsibility in the matter, it approached the Councils concerned and arrangements were made fo the construction and installation by the joint Councils of an oil-driven timber punt. The tender of Mr. G. A. Washington for £2,750 9s. 6d., Avas accepted in November, 1926. The work was completed in August, 1927. the Board advancing the whole cost and allowing the Colo Shire Council a term of ten years in which to repay one-half. The Colo Shire Council made its own arrangements with the other Councils for the payment of their contributions. Arrangements were also made for the improvement of the approaches on both the Wiseman's and St. Albans' sides of the ferry, and the work was carried out by the Colo Shire Council, 30

PROCLAMATION OF NEW MAIN ROADS. The following Main Roads were proclaimed during the year in accordance with the Main Roads Act, 1924.—

Shire or Municipality. Remarks.

Shire of Tenterfield No. 189—Road from Legume to Queensland To connect up Queensland Main Road with border, via Acacia Creek. New South Wales Main Road No. 140. No. 131—Road via Amosfield to Queensland Substituted for another section depro- border, near Stanthorpe. elaimed. Municipality of Balranald No. 48—Swan Hill to Euston In extension of existing Main Road. Shire of Carrathool No. 51—Carrathool, via Goolgowi, Merriwagga, Substituted for a previously existing Main and Langtree to Hillston. Road. No. 51a—Road from Griffith to Hillston Substituted for a previous existing Main Road. Municipality of Port No. 113a—Gordon-street, from Hindman-street In extension of existing Main Road. Macquarie. to Horton-street. Blaxland Shire No. 83a—Road from near Marangaroo Creek, In lieu of portion of Main Road No. 83, now bearing generally westerly through Lidsdale deproclaimed. State Forest to Main Road No. 84. Wollondilly Shire No. 23—Railside-avenue, at Bargo To provide a duplicate route. Berrigan Shire ... No. 44a,—Finley to Tocumwal , In extension of existing Main Road. Boolooroo Shire No. 126—Moree, via Canrurra and Beefwood, to In lieu of route from Moree to Boggabilla. Boggabilla. Municipalities of Young and No. 55—Young, via Wombat, to Murmmburrah.. In extension of existing Main Road. Murnimburrah, and Shire of Burrangong. Shire of Erina , No. 95—Road from Wiseman's Ferry, along Substituted for another Main Road now Northern side of Hawkesbury River to Spencer, deproclaimed. and the western side of Mangrove Creek to near Green's; thence via Green's and Blood Tree to Gosford.

STATISTICS. In last year's report, statistics of work done were not given. During the year details of the works authorised since the establishment of the Board have been compiled, showing the mileage of each class of construction authorised. These show that a total of 512 miles of new road construction or reconstruction has been authorised from the Country Main Roads Fund up to the 30th June, 1927, at a total cost of £2,749,234. The details are as follow :— Class of Road. Miles. ft. Cement concrete ...... 12 4,600 Pre-mixed tar-bituminous macadam ... 26 3,373 Penetration tar-bituminous macadam 81 1,073 Water-bound macadam, tar and bitumen surfaced 16 2,415 Water-bound macadam ...... 74 1,671 Gravel ...... 211 3,709 Earth formation ...... 2.710 512 3,711 PART IV—DEVELOPMENTAL ROADS FUND. In the period covered by the first annual report, the Developmental Roads Fund was fed by moneys provided by the Commonwealth and the State Governments. The Federal contributions were provided under an Act of the Commonwealth Parliament called the Main Roads Development Act, which provided for one year only. In the period covered by this report, there was no corresponding provision of Commonwealth assis­ tance, because the Commonwealth Parliament did not pass an Act providing for assistance in the year 1926-27 on similar lines to the Act which provided assistance for the year 1925-26. Instead, an entirely new scheme was adopted by the Commonwealth Parliament, as elsewhere described. The State, however, did not enter into that new scheme until the 17th June, 1927, and the year closed on the 30th June. The State Parliament provided, as before, £138,000 from Loan Votes for Developmental Roads, and to compensate for the loss to this fund of the non-forthcoming Federal assistance, applied to the Develop­ mental Roads Fund, £138,000 of the motor revenues which were taken from the two Main Roads Funds by the passage of the Finance (Taxation Management) Act, 1926. This made a total of £276,000 available for application by the Board to Developmental Roads. The Board received applications from the Councils, and made a selection in accordance with the principles described on page 78 of the First Annual Report. The Councils were duly advised of the proposed allocations, and were requested to have surveys made and plans preparedand submitted for approval. In the cases where satisfactory plans, &c, were submitted, approval was granted and advances made for work to begin. In some cases where satisfactory plans were not submitted in reasonable time, the allocations were withdrawn by the Board, and the moneys allotted to other Councils. The final allocations were as follow:—•

Developmental Road. Amount Road—No. * Shire. Allocated. £ 1073 Bellingen Bonville Railway Station to Main Road No. 2,200 117. 1015 Bolwarra Lennoxton to Summer Hill—1st Section ... 3,000 1055 Copmanhurst .. 10,000 1079 Dorrigo From Coramba-Dorrigo Road to Lowanna 8,000 Railway Station. 1076 Dorrigo 5,000 Dorrigo 1,000 31

Developmental Roads Fund—continued.

DEVELOPMENTAL AMOUNT SHIN-. (LOAD. ROAD—NO. ALLOCATED.

£ 1032 Cockburn. (1) Limbri -Weabonga 1,900 1032 (2) Bridge over Swamp Oak Creek 3,475 (3) Hall's Creek to Attunga .-..6.-.0 Peel Westdalo Siding to Winton 5.000 Peel Loomberah District to Great Northern Road I, loo Upper Hunter Dry Creek to Tomalla 5,000 1002 Severn Glen Innee via Kings Plains to Inverell ... 5,000 1042 Monaro Coo ma to Countegany 4,000 1040 Bibbenluke Bibbenluke to Bukalong Railway Siding ... 1,000 Gadara Kunama Railway Station to Returned 4,500 Soldiers' Store. 1038 Gadara Tumut-Lacmalac Micalong Road 1,360 Mulwaree Kingsdale to Norwood 780 ins:.' Bannockburn Delungra to Graman 2,275 1033 Mandowa Manilla to Boggabri 7.0(H) 1083 Wingadee ... Coonamble to Carinda 5.870 1009 Amaroo Cumnock to Eurimbla 1,900 1004 Cobbora Goolma eta Gollan to Murrumbong •l.i 1067 Cobbora Ballimore-Windorah, Sections 1, 2, and 3 ... 4,667 1081 Marthaguy ... Warren to Carinda t>tVi Mt. Harris 1,00(1 1068 Waugoola ... Wattamondara to Mt. Collins 5,000 1080 Gilgandra ... Armatree to Tooraweenah 2,100 1024 Bland Buddigowcr to Beckom 2.900 1059 Burrangong... Bendick Morrell Railway Station to Soldiers' 2.1 MM I Settlement. 1030 Hastings . Road from Telegraph Point Railway Station 2.500 to Glen Esk. 10511 Hastings Comboyno, towards Kendall (1st Section)... 5,000 Kyogle Eden Creek to Dyraaba Butter Factory ... 4,000 ion Kyogle Sandilands to Bonalbo 4,000 Kyoj.dc Sandilands to Bonalbo (Council to provide 1.0011 £1.000). 1048 Macleay ... Nulla Creek Road 6.725 1078 Nambucca Bowravillo to North (Upper) Arm Road ... I..50O 1076 Nambucca Macksville to Upper Taylor's Arm .s.i mo 1046 Tomki Edenvillo Road 2,000 1047 Tomki South Kyogle to Bentley 2,000 Terania ... Wongavale to the Kyogle-Nimhin Road 4,600 and Cawongla to Blue Knob. 1st Section- 1077 Erina Yarramalong to Dooralong 5,000 1 Lake Macquarie Charlostown via Warner's Bay to Speer's 20,420 Point. 1074 Patrick Plains . Fordwich Soldiers' Settlement Road 4.663 Eurobodalla .... Narooma Wharf Road from new wharf to 300 Prince's Highway. Eurobodalla Bodalla to Eurobodalla 2,600 1054 Imlay Tathra I toad-connecting with Bega-Eden 4,600 section of the Prince's Highway. Oboron Hampton-Oberon Road 1,800 1060 Coolamon Ganmain to I mil.11. 5,000 1061 Coolamon Ardlethan to Bygoo 5,000 1066-72 Carrathool . Roads in Crown Subdivision 10.000 1084 Carrathool . From Merriwagga Railway Station East 87.". 1062 Hume Howlong, via Walbundrie to Brooklesby 5,000 1021 Illabo .lunee Reefs, Combaning. 400 chains 5,950 10(14 Narraburra Reefton Railway Siting to Morangorell .. 3,600 1063 Narraburra ('ninhnning In Old .Iimee n.iioo Narraburra Coolamon via Ariah Park to Wvalong 2,589 Narraburra Old Wagga Road 2,130 1.600 1086 I'rana Road through Urangt-linc Soldiers' Settle­ ment. 1087 Cabramatta and Canlcy Cabramatta to Mulgoa, 1st Section 10,000 Vale. 1101 St. Mary's St. Marys to Rope's Creek 8,535 1100 St. Mary's St. Mans to Luddenham via Mamre .. S.lillO Liverpool Plains Duhbledah to Goolhi via Emerald Hill 3,000 Amount tentatively allocated, but awaiting finalisation 1.82(1

Total I £276.000

In addition to the sum of £276,000 allotted as above, the Board had, at the beginning of the year, an unexpended sum which was the balance of allocations made to Councils in the previous years for various Developmental Road Works. The construction of these roads continued throughout the year. The balances brought forward and the expenditure by Councils during the year therefrom were as follow:—

Paid TO COUNCIL-* Am i BROUGHT DURING 1926-27 TO VOTE FOR YEAR. BALANCE UNE\|WNDED. FORWARD TO 1926-27. MEET THEIR EXPENDITURE.

£ 8. d. £ s. d. £ s. d.

Commonwealth and State Government votes..v 1923-24 ... 29,730 7 8 24,871 17 4 4,858 10 4 1924-25 ... 15,708 4 9 5,208 4 9 10,600 0 0 1925-29 ... 115,634 0 0 88,631 10 0 27,002 10 0

161,072 12 6 118,711 12 1 42,361 0 4 1926-7 ... 276,000 0 0 14,020 0 0 261,980 0 0

Gross Totals 437.072 12 5 132.731 12 1 304.34 1 0 4 32

IMPORTANT WORKS UNDERTAKEN. It will not be practicable to include a paragraph describing each of the Developmental Road Works ader construction, but a few examples will be quoted to give a reasonable idea of the type of works undertaken. St. Mary's-Luddenkam Developmental Road.—This road runs at right angles to the Great Western railway line, and serves to carry to the St. Mary's railway station the traffic from the farming districts of Mamre and Luddenham. The Board allotted the sum of £6,000 from the Developmental Roads Fund for the construction of a tar-surfaced, waterbound macadam pavement, 16 feet wide, on this road for a length of 7,400 feet, together with the construction of reinforced concrete culverts. The work was commenced by the local Council under the supervision of one of the Board's engineers, lent for the purpose, in March, 1927, and at 30th June, 1927 the quantity of work done was approximately 3,500 feet. J.' St. Mary's LlandUo Developmental Road.—This road also runs at right angles to the Great Western railway line, and serves to carry to the St. Mary's railway station the traffic from the farming district of Llandilo. The Board allotted the sum of £6,000 from the Developmental Roads Fund for the construction of a tar-surfaced, waterbound macadam pavement, 16 feet wide, on this road for a length of 8,045 feet, together with the construction of reinforced concrete culverts. The work was commenced by the local Coiincil under the supervision of one of the Board's Engineers, lent for the purpose, in April, 1926. Narraburra Shire: Road from Reefton Railway Siding to Grogan.—In 1925-26, the Board allotted £2,500 for the construction of a Developmental Road to convey the produce of the Grogan wheat-growing district to the railway siding at Reefton. The work to be done was the clearing and forming of 3 miles 11 chains of roadway, 30 feet wide, and the laying of a gravel pavement 15 feet wide, together with the construction of seven drainage structures. The plans were prepared by the Shire Engineer (Mr. W. Scott) and the work was done by contract after public tendering. It was completed in October, 1927, when the road was formally opened. It is locally called " Frater's Speedway " after Councillor Frater, whose wife cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony, which was attended by a large number of settlers from the country served by the road. Both the Councillors and the settlers expressed sincere appreciation of the policy which had provided for the construction of this road,

Narraburra Shire. Section 4 complete—Looking back from Cootamundra Road, Combaning to Old Junee.

Mandowa Shire: Manilla to Boggabri Road.—This road was proclaimed a Developmental Road in 1925, and some 5 miles of gravelled road, 16 feet wide, was constructed by the Council, and opened for traffic. Further work in extension of this road is now being put in hand from funds provided from the State Developmental Road Vote to the extent of £7,000. This road will provide traffic facilities from a large area of wheat land to the railway station at Manilla. •83"

dobbora Shire: Goolma via Gollan to Murrumbong. (£6,000 grant in 1925-26). This proclaimed Developmental Road, feeding a large area of wheat country, adjoining the recently constructed Dubbo- Werris Creek railway, has been constructed with gravel, 16 feet wide, for a distance of 5 miles, and further work is now being put in hand in expenditure of the 1926-27 Developmental Road Vote. Berrigan Shire: Berrigan-Barooga Road, leading from the Victorian border to the Berrigan Railway.-- Three miles of this road have been constructed in granite gravel, 18 feet wide, This road carries very heavy wheat traffic to Berrigan railway station. Carrathool Shire.: Many feeder roads to the recently constructed railway stations between Griffith and Hillston have been cleared at a total cost of £5,480, to give access to wheat farms recently made available by the Crown and now in process of occupation and development. Bland Shire.: Several Developmental Roads have been proclaimed in the Bland Shire, and the sum of £7,090 was provided from the Commonwealth-cum-State grant of 1925-26 for the clearing and construction of these roads. The principal one is the Buddigower-Beckom Road which is carrying large wheat traffic to the Buddigower railway station. Some 3 miles of this road have been gravelled 16 feet wide, and were recently opened to traffic. A continuation of this work is now being put in hand with the recent grant of £2,900 from the Developmental Roads Vote. Macleay Shire.: A grant of £6,000 was allotted for the Bellbrook-Nulla Nulla Road, the work consisting of about 4 miles of formation (with culverts) in two sections. The work comprising the Nulla Creek section was completed and opened for traffic about March of this year, while the Five Day Creek section was only partly completed owing to rock being encountered in the cuttings. Completion will now be undertaken in expenditure of the further grant of £3,000. Kyogle Shire: Sandilands-Bonalbo Road.-—An amount of £4,000 was allotted to the Kyogle Shire Council from the Commonwealth-cum-State Vote 1925-26 for expenditure on construction work on the proclaimed Developmental Road from Sandilands to Bonalbo. Construction comprised clearing, formation, side drains, culverts, etc. over a length of 4,600 feet. The work was completed in April, 1927, being carried out by day labour by the Shire Council. Dorrigo Shire: Upper Bo Bo Road.—A grant of £5,000 was provided from the State Developmental Road Vote 1926-27, and a gravelled road 14 feet wide with necessary culverts, 2 miles in length, has been constructed by the Council by day-labour under the supervision of the Shire Engineer, Mr. Bartlett. It was opened for traffic in October 1927.

STRONG CONSTRUCTION ADOPTED. In dealing with Developmental Roads, the Board has consistently urged Councils to adopt a class of construction suited to carry the developing traffic (according to the circumstances of each road). In many cases, however, Councils have objected; and they have urged that with the same amount of money, if freed from the Board's requirements, they could do a greater mileage of road. The Board, has, never­ theless, insisted upon the stronger construction for the reason that, if strongly built in the first place, the cost of maintenance should be less; and, under the Act, the Board bears the cost of construction, but the Councils have to bear the cost of maintenance, and the duty is placed on the Board of compelling Councils to maintain the Developmental roads for which they accept construction- assistance. The Board's policy in favour of a heavier type of construction is therefore, strongly in favour of the Councils, though some cannot see it.

PART V.—MISCELLANEOUS.

SUMMARY OF WORKS AND EXPENDITURE UNDER THREE FUNDS.

Briefly, the Board has spent the following sums :—

(a) County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund ... 1,013,913 (6) Country Main Roads Fund 1,938,808 (c) Developmental Roads Fund ...... ' 155,017

Total ..: ...... £3,107,738 and it has authorised additional works, involving commitments in each fund, as fellow's :— £ {a) County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund 485,325 [b) Country Main Roads Fund .* 1,059,217 (c) Developmental Roads Fund ... '. " 240,303

Total £1,784,845 making totals of actual disimburserhents, and commitments entered into, as follows :—

[a) County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund 1,499,238 (6) Country Main Roads Fund ... 2,998,025 (c) Developmental Roads Fund 395,320

Total £4,892,583 46771— C 34

; ^ ^The total figure of £4,892,583 includes repayments to the Government and to Councils for works ch'ried out before the formation of the Board, administrative expenses, advances to Councils for purchase of plant, purchase of plant for the Board's own use, grants for the erection of sign posts, and other mis­ cellaneous expenditure not used directly for road works. The total number of jobs actually authorised by the Board was 2,602 and the cost to the Board of these jobs was estimated to be £4,086,498 and the Councils £417,409, or a gross total of £4,503,907. Adding to these figures, those given in the First Annual Report, the total number of jobs authorised since the formation of the Board was 4,442, to which the Board is to contribute £6,459,633, and the Councils £796,751, or a gross total of £7,256.384. A large number of these works were of course works of repair or maintenance : but the construct!on-or reconstruction works authorised since the establishment of the Board now total as follows :—

Roads of— Miles. Feet. Earth formation only 107 1,952 Gravel 323 687 Broken stone (macadam) ... 141 390 Macadam sprayed with tar or bitumen 38 4,710 Penetration tar or bitumen macadam 102 111 Premixed heated tar or bitumen macadam 33 2,758 Cement concrete 49 4,432 Cement concrete surfaced witli 2 inches of bituminous concrete 6 978

Total 802*183 These are distributed as follows

Roads. Length Authorised. Length Completed.

County of Cumberland— miles, feet. miles, feet. Ill 469 77 1392 3 979 1 3663

Total 114 1448 78 5055

Country— 512 3711 320 3309 175 304 148 4799

802 183 • 548 2603

THE FEDERAL AID ROADS AGREEMENT.

1 In August, 1926, the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia passed the Federal Aid Roads Act, 1926, which provides a system of Commonwealth or Federal aid to the States for road construction to operate for ten years. The system and purpose of this aid are quite different from the system and pur­ pose of the tentative measures of Federal assistance passed in the three previous years. The Act authorises ;the Commonwealth Government to enter into agreements with each of the State Governments and the actual form of agreement is printed as a schedule to the Act. The remaining provisions of the Act authorise the Commonwealth Government to set aside from Consolidated Revenue Fund, the moneys needed to give effect to the agreement, if entered into by the States, and empower the Governor-General to make regulations. The core of the scheme, therefore, lies in the agreement. j The agreement recites that the Commonwealth proposes to make available to the States as a whole £2,000,000 each year for ten years (total £20,000,000), and that three-fifths of this sum shall be distributed between the States on the basis of population, and the remaining two-fifths on the basis of area. Under this principle, the annual share of each State is set out as follows £ New South Wales 552,000 Victoria 360,000 Queensland... 376,000 South Australia 228,000 West Australia 384,000 Tasmania ... 100,000

I £2,000,000

It is required, however, that the Government of any State shall sign the agreement and secure its ratification by the State Parliament by a special Act before that State can share in the above distribution. Upon the agreement being signed and ratified, the State Minister dealing with road matters becomes a ! member of the Federal Aid Roads Board, which is composed of the various State Ministers, sitting with the Commonwealth Minister as Chairman. Each State is required to provide 15 shillings in the £, to be spent pari passu with the Commonwealth aid. Therefore, New South Wales must provide £414,000 each year to be spent with the Commonwealth's £552,000, making a total of £966,000. Each State Minister is required to submit, at the commencement, a programme of five years' work to absorb five years' money, and then each year to submit a detailed list, with plans and specifications, of the individual works to be carried out in that year. The five years' programme, and each year's detailed list, must be approved by the Commonwealth Minsiter before any road-building can be commenced. 35

The following are the classes of roads which are to be deemed to be eligible for Federal aid :—(1) Main Roads which open up and develop new country; (2) Trunk Roads between important towns; and (3) Arterial Roads to carry the concentrated traffic from developmental, main, trunk, and other roads. Under the scheme'the work to be done must be construction or reconstruction—the moneys provided are not to be used for repairs and maintenance—and at least one-quarter of the money must be spent on new construction, as against the reconstruction of previously constructed roads. It is a condition of the agreement that the State must make proper provision for the continuous maintenance of any work completed under the terms of the agreement. Works done under the agreement must generally be carried out by contract; but it is provided that if the State Minister considers that tenders received for a work are unsatisfactory, or if he con- . siders that to do the work by day labour would be either more economical or more expeditious, or both, he may so inform the Commonwealth Minister, The latter Minister may then, if he is satisfied that action has been taken by the State to ensure that the work will be carried out according to approved methods of construction, in which modern plant is utilised to the fullest extent, approve of the execution of the work in whole or in part by day labour. All necessary surveys and supervision of the carrying out of works must be undertaken by the State. An amount equal to 2 per cent., of the cost of each work will be paid by the Commonwealth towards the cost of the survey and supervision of that work, and of the preparation of plans and other preliminaries in connection with that work. Finally the State must provide at least one-eight (£51,750) of its annual contribution from revenue, and the' remainder may be provided from either • Revenue or loan moneys. For any portion which is provided from loan moneys, the Commonwealth is empowered to deduct from its annual grant a sum equal to 3 per cent, per annum on the State's contribution out of loans, which amount is to be paid each year into a sinking fund kept by the Commonwealth. This will continue during the ten years covered by the agreement, after which the State must pay the 3 per cent, contribution into the Commonwealth.sinking fund until the extinction of the loan is provided for. The revenue to provide the Commonwealth share of the funds is being raised by the customs duty on petrol, and on moter bodies, chassis, &c. Both the Victorian and New South Wales Governments considered the basis for distributing the Federal aid between the States to be unfair to the people of tho two largest States, whose citizens would actually pay into the Commonwealth revenues much larger sums than their State Governments would receive under the scheme. Both these States stood out of the scheme for some months, endeavouring to secure a modification. Meantime, Tasmania, Queensland, South Aus­ tralia, and West Australia signed the agreement. The Victorian Government signed in December, 1926, and New South Wales remained the only State not participating. The Premier (Mr. Lang) made a final definite effort to secure better terms for his State, but, finding that impracticable, signed the agreement • On the 17th June, 1927, and thus, by joining within the financial year ending 30th June, 1927, enabled the State to reserve and preserve its right to that year's money under the agreement. It was then arranged with the Federal Government that, though that Government could not pay any money until the agreement was ratified by the State Parliament, yet, if the New South Wales Govern­ ment was prepared to finance works itself up to time of ratification, the Commonweatlh Government would, after ratification, recognise all expenditure made upon approved works as from the date of signing the agreement, viz., the 17th June, 1927.

TREND OF ROAD DESIGN AND POLICY ABROAD. An examination of current literature on.road-making during the past year does not reveal any outstanding feature of new practice or discovery in research. Probably the principal feature is the growing interest in the study of the soils on which road pavements are to be laid—subgrade soils-—with the object of obtaining definite knowledge of the various soils along the length to be treated. Investigations of this nature' can be utilised to effect economy in construction by varying the pavement thickness over different portions in conformity with the greater or lessbearing capacity of the subgrade of each portion, instead of having a uniform thickness throughout the whole length of the work undertaken. The general tendency abroad appears to be to design the roads to accommodate higher traffic speeds with public safety. The various points stressed in this trend of design are: increased radius of curvature, longer vertical curves to give greater visibility, flatter crowns, to counteract the tendency of traffic to crowd towards the middle of the road, the banking or superelevation of all curves of less than 2,000 feet radius, the use of elastic instead of rigid fencing, i.e. the adoption of wire rope or wire netting guard fences instead of post and rail, and finally the elimination of railway level crossings. In Great Britain and America especially this tendency to provide for an increase in traffic flow by improved design is the main characteristic of the work done. At the International Chamber of Commerce Conference held at Stockholm recently, as reported in " Roads and Road Construction " the question of adopting a programme of road building throughout the world came up for consideration. The leader of the American delegation pointed out that wealth has always followed transport, and, with the spread of motor transport and highways, it is desirable to develop all parts of any territory, thus enabling the full use of its resources for the benefit of the public. " We stand on the threshold of extraordinary world-wide use of highway transport, which will involve vast investments for road building and keen study on the part of all those involved." The Stockholm Congress adopted the following as its highway platform :— (1) That special taxes levied on the motor vehicle itself and/or on the motor fuel should be based on highway use. devoted to highway purposes, collected and expended under centralised State control; (2) That the highways should be developed to suit modern traffic, and that the cost should be distributed in relation to the benefits derived; (3) That taxes should be such that they will not check the economic use of the motor vehicle; (4) That where it is necessary to authorise constructors of a special road to charge a toll for its use, the State should retain the right on payment of compensation to purchase or control the road ; (5) That City planning should provide for a free flow of traffic and proper facilities for garaging vehicles; (6) That every precautionary measure should be taken for greater safety on street, and highways, including education of drivers, of pedestrians, and particularly of children. 36

There has been a certain amount of criticism of the Board's policy of constructing deviations of the more important main roads where deviation has been needed to avoid steep gradients, dangerous curves, and other unsound features of location. In this connection, it is interesting to note the considered opinion of the Main Highways Board of New Zealand in its first Annual Report, issued this year:— (f Various difficulties in the past have resulted in the local Authorities not carrying out many deviations which are desirable, if not indispensable. It is undoubtedly wrong to ' surface ' a road (especially in such a high-class manner as is required for modern traffic) when the road itself is in the wrong position, and when possibly all this work will be lost through eventually having to carry out a deviation that should, in the first case, have been adopted." To this may well be added the comment of " The Shire and Municipa 1 Record " (N.S.W.), that " It is waste of money if, for example, the Board were to spend a large sum. in the formation of a road which had upon it various hills; and subsequently it was discovered that by making a deviation it would be possible to cut out heavy gradients. In other words, before the board starts Spending money upon roads, it must be quite sure that they are properly located and the money spent upon the roads will not subsequently be thrown away and the work undone."

DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES. With the" growing complexity of city life, the matter of the adaptation of the services of all public bodies using roads to carry either traffic or mains, continues to increase in importance. The necessity for this within the city of Sydney has been recognised for some years and resulted in the formation of a ^ Street Openings Conference," to which the Board was admitted as a member in 1925. The determinations of this Conference had, until 2nd November, 1926, been of only indirect interest to Councils other than the City Council, but on that date, an ordinance under the Local Government Act, No. 30, was gazetted as follows :—• (a) The Council may by resolution divide any or all footways into strips and allot the respective strips for the purpose of the laying of gas and water pipes, sewers, drains, electric wires and cables and j the like; and specify the depth at which any or all of those things shall be laid. I (b) The Council shall serve upon any statutory body or any person proposing to lay or construct gas or water pipes, sewers, drains, electric wires or cables or the like, a diagram or other suitable information indicating clearly the strip of the footway allotted for it or his use, and the depth at which the pipes, sewers, drains, electric wires or cables or the like shall be laid or constructed; (c) Any statutory body and any person, whether acting under the authority of any Act or not, shall when laying or constructing any gas or water pipes, sewers, drains, electric wires or cables or the j like in any public road, lay or construct the same in the appropriate strip of the footway in I accordance with the resolution of the Council. Subsequent to this, and with a view to uniform action, the Executive of the Local Government Association was invited, and consented, to join the Street Openings Conference, and a scheme of allocation of space was drawn up by the Conference for various widths of footpath between 10 feet and 21 feet. This is shown in the diagrams on page 37. These proposals are now under consideration by the Local Government Association. I While the Board is not directly concerned with the disposition of public utilities, except as they affect the carriageway of main roads, it is vitally interested in the transference of mains from carriageways to footways as far as is feasible, and it recognises that the adoption of a uniform system of allocation of space in footpaths will tend towards making this practicable and easy. The Board therefore desires to commend to Councils the adoption of the proposals described. The negotiations with the Gas Companies and the Water Boards in connection with the basis of sharing, between Road and Mains Authorities, the cost of rearranging the mains, so as to reduce to a minimum the opening up of the carriageways of main roads on account of the mains, have advanced a further stage. jFrom the experience in connection with the operation of the original agreement which* had been made with the Metropolitan Gas Companies (described in the previous Annual Report), it was thought that this did not take adequately into account the life of the pipes in use; while it did not provide for the case of pipes in good condition, which, on account of their position in the road (e.g. under tram tracks), it is impossible to remove, and which have to be scrapped. Up to 30th June, 1926, any alterations required to water mains to adapt them to road works were carried out at the expense of the Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board, but the high cost of this led that Board to approach the Main Roads Board with a view to the latter contributing to some extent. The Board agreed, provided a uniform basis which jcould be applied to all road authorities, i.e., Board and Councils, could be found. From the conversations which ensued, it appeared possible to arrive at definite principles which could be accepted by both parties, and that, based on these principles, calculations could be made to fix the shares of Road and Mains Authorities. These principles and conclusions are of such importance that it has been thought advisable to include an account of them in extenso, as follows :— Principles Governing Disposition of Public Utilities.-—To determine the basis of the allocation of ,the cost of removing or lowering mains in advance of the reconstruction of road pavements, it is necessary Jto arrive first at the principles which should govern the relations of the various Public Utilities operating 'within the limits of the road. This basis should be one of mutual respect, i.e., each responsible Authority should, in the location of any new services, endeavour to arrange them in such a way as to offer a minimum of inconvenience to the others, even though this may involve that Authority in a somewhat increased initial expense above what would be incurred if the service was put down regardless of the effect on other services. Such a policy is an absolute necessity, if proper respect is to be paid to the public convenience, and the charges incurred on this account by each Utility are a proper contribution to that convenience by the | people benefiting by the utility. It is impossible to estimate what has been the cost to the community of the 37

PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICES IN MAIN ROADS ALLOCATION OF SPACE ON SUBURBAN 10" I2FT I8FT & 21" FOOTPATHS

Light Area EtecrbricityDapl Diet fOp 'gjg1 HT Cables Armoured N ofce: Where concrete strips are laid a loose slab 2'<3" wide to be formed at the boundary between each alternate pair oF allotments © Where manholes and pits are required c special arrangements to be made POLS k i o" H E l2'0"Fbotpath O: —2-0"-H—2'0'-*+—r io -l'9"- < P.MG Water

o Oist DP ojo cc P.IT HTCflbles I. Armoured © Alternative Position oP. Pole 6'0"Asphalt or Concrete Footway

-180'rootpath it —2' 0"" •!• go"-4— I' lO'"^ I' 9 - LIGHT AREA 'ELECTRICITY DEPT. GAS P.M.G. WABERBOARD

L^HT. Cables w Armoured © Alternative Position of Pole

-gl'OTObparih-

— E-O" -4—2'0' r 9M—] iRoadway Light AreaEledrid tyDepc PM_G_ Water Board DISB. OJ H.T. Cables ARMOURED © 33

|interruptions to the carriageway due to the neglect of this policy in the past, and what will be saved in- the future by its adoption; apart from which is the fact that the higher initial expenditure will reduce subsequent cost of connection, so that their capitalised total will probably prove not greater than under the old system. The precise arrangement of the mains, so long as this conforms with the policy explained, is one for each Public Utility to determine, and would be what each considers will prove most economical. Where new mains are laid in either new or old streets, they should conform to such a scheme. The greatest difficulties, economically speaking, will occur in new streets sparsely settled; but in view of the-impossi- jbility of determining the rapidity of the growth of traffic in years to come, it would seem wise that an attempt should be made to avoid the troubles which will ensue if the mains are simply laid in the carriage- 'way, by laying the first main in a footway and gradually developing the complete system. The Australian Gaslight Company, for instance, proposes to attack this problem by laying the first gas main in the footpath on which settlement is most dense, and running across the road sufficient stub mains to serve the houses on the other side. These stub mains will be part of the general system, which, when complete, will be at approximately 75 yard intervals. The longitudinal main on the other footpath will be put in, from time to time, for only such length as required, and will be gradually extended • until it h connected up throughout. This arrangement will involve the occasional digging up of the carriage­ way to insert stub mains, but such digging will occur while the type of road pavement is one than can jbe cheaply repaired, and by the time a better pavement is warranted the stub main system will be complete, jor so nearly so, that it can be completed at small cost before the improved pavement is laid down. In the case of roads where mains now exist in the carriageway, which is the particular matter under consideration, it is necessary, before a high class of road pavement is put down, to remove all except the trunk mains and to re-arrange them suitably in the footpaths. As these mains have been laid in the carriage­ way in the past, with the concurrence of all parties, it is reasonable that the cost of adjusting them to the new positions should now be borne by the parties interested, viz., the Road Authority and the Mains Authority. I Basis of Allocation following Acceptance of Principles.—On the general policy above explained, the | correct basis of this division will be determined by the fact that if the existing mains were allowed to remain I for their allotted span in the carriage-way they would ultimately be replaced by suitable pipes in the foot­ paths, at the expense of the Mains Authority, and the old pipes disconnected and simply allowed to remain in position. The construction of the new pavement involves— (a) The earlier institution of the new system, and (6) The lifting of the old mains. The basis of the division of the cost of altering the mains which is proposed is that the extra expense involved by (a) and (b) should be shared equally between the Road Authority and the Mains Authority. | . The extra cost of (a) is determined by the remaining economic life of the main in the road, and can be calculated as follows :— Let x equal the cost of installing the new mains in the footpath. Let w equal the number of years of expected life of any new main. Let n equal the number of years of life remaining to the pipes in the roadway. Let v equal the rate of interest on money. The extra cost is then the difference between the sum which is required to lay the new system and provide for its replacement as it wears out at intervals of w years, and the sum, which invested now, will I amount to the former sum at the end of the life of the present pipes. The former sum is

l-ovw

If, however, this work was postponed for n years, the sum required to be invested now would be :—

| 1_ j I'OV*

! The extra cost involved by the immediate replacement of the pipes is the difference of these two, and should be shared equally between the two authorities.

The percentage of total cost of re-establishment to be borne by the Road Authority is then:

100 - 1 1-OTJ"

l-ovw

\he remainder being borne by the Mains Authority:- 39

The values of 1 f~^T *or vari°us values of n up to 40, when v equals per cent, or 6|- per cent. are set out in the following scale.

Multiple Multiple Multiple Multiple I I 1 1 Yours. 1 — Lot"

v = 6£% v = 6£% = 5*% = n%

•0522 •0010 •4145 •4673 19 -6384 •6977 27 •7644 -8173 •1016 •1184 •4451 •4998 20 •6572 •7162 28 •7767 -8285 •1485 •1721 •4740 •6303 21 •6752 •7335 29 •7884 -8390 •1928 •2227 •5015 •5589 22 •6921 •7498 30 •7994 -8488 •234!) •2700 •5274 •5859 23 •7082 •7650 32 •8197 -8668 •2748 •3147 •5521 •6111 24 •7233 •7794 34 •8381 -8825 •3126 •3564 •5754 •6349 25 •7378 •7929 35 •8464 -8896 •3484 •3958 •5976 •6571 26 •7515 •8055 40 •8826 -9195 •3824 •4326 •6185 •6781

The values of the two percentages are set out in the graphs illustrated for values of w of twenty, thirty-five and. forty years. The first and last of these figures represent the average life of cast-iron and steel gas-mains respectively, if left undisturbed, as estimated by the Australian Gaslight Company, and thirty-five years, the corresponding life of cast-iron water-mains as estimated by the Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board, or cast-iron and steel gas-mains as estimated by the Manly Gas Company. (See Graph, page 40.)

For the purpose of calculating the actual sum to be shared, x should include the installation of the new pipes, the reconnection of the house services, and the restoration of any footway damaged in inserting the pipes. It should not, however, include any improvement of the service, such as the enlargement of the main or substitution of copper connections for existing connections. If the Mains Authority desires to insert a larger main than that in existence in the road, the difference in the cost of installing this, as compared with the cost of installing the original size main, should be borne wholly by that authority. Similarly, if an extension of the length of the existing service is to be put in, this should be done wholly at the cost of the Mains Authority.

The cost of (b) is the cost of lifting the old mains and refilling the trenches, less the salvage value of the pipes. As the old mains would usually not be lifted unless the salvage value is greater than the cost of the excavation and refilling of the trenches, this cost will normally be a credit to both authorities and will be shared equally between them. Where, however, the pipes are in such a position that they cannot be recovered, the cost of (b) would be nil.

In places where it is necessary to regrade a road, trunk mains and mains over 12 inches in diameter {which must always remain in the carriageway) will require to be lowered. Similar adjustment is some­ times necessary when a culvert or bridge is extended. In such cases there will be no replacement of pipes, and the cost of the work will be confined to the lowering of the mains and of the house services connected thereto and should be shared equally between the road and mains authorities. .

The Main Roads Board has offered to bear the quota of the road authority, as determined by the calculation, for any alteration of .mains on main roads. Conferences have been held with representatives of the Water Board and the Local Government Association on the matter, but a definite decision has not yet been come to as regards water mains. Any agreement will, however, be retrospective to 1st July, 1926.

Agreement along the above terms has been reached with the Australian Gaslight Company and the Manly Gas Company where the old service is replaced by new pipes. The formula given above provides for the use of entirely new materials in laying the new service and a modification is required where old pipes are lifted and reused, and a proposal to cover this contingency is under discussion with the Australian Gaslight Company. In the case of the Australian Gaslight Company and the Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board, the rate of interest to be adopted in making any calculation has been agreed upon at 5£ per cent., but for the Manly Gas Company this will be 6£ per cent.

THE PROBLEM OF TRAM TRACKS IN MAIN ROADS. Reference was made in the previous annual report to the divergent views of the Railway Commissioners and the Board in regard to the responsibilities of the two bodies in arranging the tram tracks so that they will allow of the roadway being used to the greatest advantage by all classes of traffic. To do this, the tracks must be arranged at a uniform distance from either kerb, so as to permit the flow of traffic to proceed unchecked, while the surface of the roadway occupied by the tracks (unless they are definitely segregated from the remainder of the road) must be capable of carrying road vehicles without inconvenience. The Commissioners are prepared to alter their tracks to any level or location desired by the Board, when the tracks are due for renewal, and to bear the expense of this, but have asked that alterations required at any other time should be paid for wholly by the Board, where the track has only to be pulled over (i.e., no new sleepers or rails required); or shared between the Board and the Commissioners where new track has to be laid (i.e., at curves and points and crossings), on a basis which involves the Board in contributing interest on the Commissioners' proportion of the apportionment. /oo

PERCENTAGE TO BE BORNE BY MA/NS AOTNOR/TT A. G.L Co.,Cast iron main having 20 Years' life; interest 5? X ^Man/y Gas CoXast iron cxSteeimains haying 35 Years'fife; interest 6£ X 'M. IKS tffl.Soard, Cast iron ma ins haying 35 Years' //fe;/nterest 5?%, ^•A G. L Co., Stee/ mains haying 40 Years' fife; interest 5i

PERCENTAGE TO BE BORNE BY ROAD AUTHORITY j:A. G.l. Co.Meei mains haying 40 Years' fife; interest .5? % MfVSfyO.Soard.Cast iron mains hawng 35 Years' /ife; interest 5§s£ ,i^LManfy Gas CoXastironfySteet1 mains hay/ng35'Tears'iife; interest 6i% HA Gl.CoXast iron main having BO Years' /ife; interest 5^%

o /? /6 BO 24 28 36

Number of years //fe remaining to pipes 41

The Board considers that the principles in regard to the mutual adaptation of public services described in the previous paragraph (where thoy are applied to gas and water mains) should be applied to this problem. This would involve :— (1) The Commissioners paying the full cost of any alterations carried out when tracks arc due for renewal. (This has already been agreed to by the Commissioners.) (2) The Board and the Commissioners sharing equally the cost of the pulling over of any tracks (i.e. where no new sleepers or rails are required), which is carried out prior to the due date for reconditioning. (3) The Board and the Commissioners sharing the cost of the replacement of any curves or points and crossings carried out before they are due for renewal, in accordance with a calculation similar to that used for gas and water mains, based on the residual life of the curve, etc. (4) The Board and the Commissioners sharing equally the cost of acquiring corners at the junction of two streets traversed by trams, so as to permit of the trams track being so located as not to cut in close to the corners or swing out across the road. The Commissioners have, however, declined to discuss the matter further, and both bodies have referred the matter to their respective Ministers for decision by the Government. This decision is urgently required. Consideration of the matter was postponed until the return of the late Minister for Labour and Industry, the Hun. J. M. Baddeley, M.L.A., from a tour of investigation abroad, but, owing to the change of Government which followed shortly upon his return, still awaits attention. Apart from the matter of adjusting the line and level of tram tracks, the form and condition of pave­ ment within the 18 feet of roadway occupied by any double line (which is constructed and maintained by the Railway Commissioners) calls for consideration. Under the present arrangements, road and tram track construction are designed and carried out independently. Modem metropolitan road traffic requires that the road pavements on heavily trafficked roads shall be of a rigid character—with cement concrete either as a foundation or as both foundation and wearing course. The tram tracks, to keep in true relation to such a pavement, must also have a cement concrete foundation. The majority of the tram tracks on main roads, however, have only a ballast foundation, and the continual passage of trams gradually causes this to consolidate and the tracks to subside to a greater or lesser degree, and results in interference with the drainage of the roadway, or allows the edges of the road pavement to be worn away by traffic. The imder drainage (or lack of this) of the tram track and the road pavement have also interrelating effects. The Commissioners have stated that they do not consider that under drainage of the tracks is necessary for their purposes, and in many places this is therefore not provided. The effect of this, both on the area occupied by the tracks and the road alongside, is often strikingly apparent, and the result from the point of view of vehicular traffic is serious. (See photograph below).

- Liverpool Road, Enfield.

: "46771—d 1 'I!M»

42

Unless the area occupied by the tram trades is fully available to road traffic and kept in such a condition that this traffic will use it as well as the road pavement alongside, the width of the road is, in effect, narrowed by the width of the tracks. The importance of the condition of the tram tracks to vehicular traffic is therefore clear. Considerable lengths of tram tracks on main roads are in such a condition as to restrict the use by road traffic of the area they occupy. This can only be overcome, from an engineering point of view, by designing the width of the road as a whole, with due regard to all the services which the width will be required to carry, and the Board desires that this matter shall also have the attention of the Government.

'I'm: MUTUAL ADJUSTMENT OF ROAD AND RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. Daring the year, the responsibilities of the Railway Commissioners in regard to the construction and maintenance of overbridges and underbridges across main roads, and the manner of re-establishing any road which is altered by a new railway, have been discussed with the Commissioners with a view to formulating a definite policy in regard to the relations between road and rail authority on matters of mutual interest. The Railway Act lays upon the Railway Commissioners the responsibility for the upkeep of so much of all public roads as may lie within railway boundaries where such roads may cross the railways, either on the level or by under or overbridges. The Commissioners have pointed out that if the railways did not exist at all, the whole length of such roads would be maintained by the Shire or Municipal Councils (or the Board) responsible for the upkeep of roads generally, and that it appears illogical, especially as the railways pay Shire and Municipal rates, that the mere fact of a railway being carried under or over a public road, or crossing such a road on the level, should impose upon the railways the maintenance of three or four chains (and in some cases more) of such road at each such crossing. Against this, it may be said that the construction of the railway has frequently lengthened the road or increased its grade (at ramps) with consequent increase of cost of maintenance. Nevertheless, as part of a general scheme of review, the Board is prepared to concur in the Commissioners' views, providing greater care is taken in the rearrangement of the road, and a proportion of the cost of widening the ramps, under and overbridges, when these are required, is borne by the Railway Department whose operations have resulted in their original construction. Railways have, in the past, been laid down with almost ruthless disregard of the roads they cross. An instance of this is the Great Western Railway which crosses and re-crosses the Great Western Road a number of times. Subways or overhead bridges have been constructed with poor visibility and sharp turns so as to constitute an absolute danger to road traffic at certain points. It appears proper that when a new railway is laid, which crosses an existing road, a visibility equal to that previously enjoyed by road traffic, or at least of not less than a standard minimum which is considered safe, should be re-established, and if this is accepted, it may easily be demonstrated that railway practice calls for considerable amendment in this respect. The Board, therefore, submitted the following proposals to the Commissioners with a view to arriving at a working basis acceptable to both road and rail authorities :— (A). In the case of new railways whose construction involves the alteration of location of any existing main road: (i) The new road must be located in accordance with modern highway requirements, to give a ruling gradient not exceeding 1 in 20, curves not less than 200 feet radius, and a line of sight not less than 300 feet. Prior to the commencement of railway construction, plans of the new road most be submitted for the approval of the road authority by the Railway Department, showing locality plan, longitudinal and cross sections, and proposed grading. It is important that this be done prior to the railway construction, so that any improvements to the road proposals, which the road authority may require, and which may affect the railway proposals, may be arranged without difficulty. (See Section 41 of the Main Roads Act.) (ci) The new road shall be constructed by the Railway Department to the same degree as the road it replaces. If the old road has been merely cleared, the new road need only be cleared; if the old road has been formed, the new road shall also be formed. (iii) The widths of formation which shall be provided for are 20 feet in the case of mountain roads, 24 feet in the case of ordinary roads, 26 feet in agricultural areas where waggons are customary, and 28 feet in the case of main trunk roads. (iv) When the road and railway cross, by means of a level crossing, the crossing shall be square to the railway, but where they cross by means of an overhead or underbridge, the crossings shall be at an angle not squarer than 45 degrees, unless, in the opinion of the road authority, an improved crossing can bo obtained by a squarer angle. (v) The width of overbridges or subways shall be such as it is anticipated by the road authority, in conference with the Railway Department, or failing agreement, by an arbitrator appointed by both parties for the purpose, will be required by the road traffic during i he economic life of the bridge, but not exceediug twenty years, but in no case shall provide a less carriageway than 20 feet. The cost of construction and maintenance of the bridge or subway to this width shall be borne by the Commissioners, except that the maintenance of the ramps and of the pavements (other than timber decks) shall be borne entirely by the road authority. The cost of construction and maintenance of any further width desired by the road authority at a later date, on account of the growth of the road traffic, shall be shared equally between the road and rail authorities, and shall be put in hand as soon as the road authority shall so request and make available its half share of the cost involved, but the road authority shall bear the fall cost of the maintenance of any pavement (other than timber decking) laid on such greater width. Any overbridge shall also be so built that it can readily be widened at any later date without the demolition of the structure. 43

(vi) The cost of the widening of any ramps to overbridges or subways shall be borne in the same manner as the widening of overbridges or subways. (vii) The maintenance of any roadway across a level crossing shall be borne wholly by the road authority, notwithstanding that the portion within the railway fences is the property of the Commissioners, but this shall not include the length of road between the outside ends of the sleepers. (viii) When subsequently to the construction of the railway, the Commissioners, and the road authority, agree to the substitution of an overbridge or subway for any level crossing the cost of this shall be borne equally between the two parties, unless the overbridge or subway also carries tramlines, in which case the cost of the substitution shall be borne in the ratio of two-thirds by the Railway Commissioners to one-third by the road authority. , (ix) When the Commissioners require to widen any cutting which involves the lengthening of any overbridge, the cost of such extension shall be borne wholly by the Commissioners, but after construction, the maintenance of any pavement, other than timber decking, shall be borne wholly by the road authority.

(B). In the case of new roads which are constructed across any existing railway : (i) The cost of insertion and maintenance of any level crossing, overbridge or subway, shall be borne wholly by the road authority. (ii) When, at a later date, the road authority desires to widen any such overbridges or subway, the cost of so doing shall be borne wholly by the road authority. (iii) When, at any time, it is necessary, on account of the growth of either road or rail traffic, to substitute an overbridge or a subway for a level crossing, the cost of so doing shall be borne equally by the road and rail authorities, but the cost of maintenance, after construction, shall be borne by the road authority. (iv) When, at any time, it is necessary to extend any overbridge or subway on account of any duplication of any railway lines, the cost of so doing shall be borne equally by the road and rail authorities.

The basis of these proposals is that the Railway Commissioners shall be responsible for the restoration of any existing state of affairs as regards roads which are disturbed by a new railway, but that once this is done, the maintenance of the road.surfaces shall be the concern of the road authority. Similarly, where the railway is first in the field, the cost of any new road construction across the railway is to be borne by the road authority.

Where subsequently to the construction of either road or railway, the substitution of a subway or overhead bridge for a level crossing is necessary, the benefit to both road and rail traffic is adequate reason for the two authorities controlling these to share equally the cost of their substitution.

Similarly, where it is necessary for road purposes to widen any bridge, ramp or subway, for whose construction the railway authority was responsible, or where, for railway purposes, it is necessary to alter any similar structure for whose construction the road authority was responsible, the cost of so doing is suggested for equal sharing between the two authorities. It might be reasonably argued that, in the first case, the Railway Commissioners should pay the full cost of any alterations, and in the second case the road authority the full cost, since, in each case, the authority mentioned has built the works which are the cause of the extra expense in extension, but this might tend to encourage, in the first case (which is probably the more common) the road authority to make unreasonable demands, whereas the requirement that it shall also bear half the cost of any alterations will be an earnest of the bona fides of its proposals. Where,. on the other hand, it is necessary for railway purposes to alter any bridge, ramp or subway, for whose con­ struction the railway authority was responsible, or where, for road purposes, it is necessary to alter any similar structure for whose construction the road authority was responsible, the cost of so doing should be borne by the Commissioners in the first case, and the road authority in the second, as these works- constitute merely an extension of the original construction proposals of each authority.

The Commissioners have concurred in clauses (A) (ii), (iii), (iv), (vii) and (ix) and (B) (i), (ii) and (iv), but are not prepared to bear any of the cost of widening subways, overbridges or ramps which may become necessary on account of road traffic (clauses (A) (v) and (vi) ), or to admit as an accepted principle that they should bear any greater proportion of the cost of substituting an overhead bridge or a subway for a level crossing than is represented by the capitalised saving of gate-keeping and signalling expenses (clauses (A) (viii) and (B) (iii) ). In actual practice, however, the Commissioners have on several'occasions agreed to share equally with the Board the cost of substituting an overbridge or underbridge for a level crossing where the railway was constructed subsequent to the road.

The most serious point of non-agreement is in the manner in which the re-establishment of any road disturbed by a new railway should be made (clauses (A) (i) and (iv) ), for although clause (A) (iv) was accepted in principle, the Commissioners have refused to apply it in the case of the Kyogle-Beaudesert railway, at present under construction, where it affects Main Road No. 140 (Kyogle to Woodenbong) with serious results to the road as regards visibility. If the principles of mutual adaptation stressed in the previous paragraphs are to be given effect to—and no other course will, it is thought, be admitted by Parliament and the general public—it is essential that these clauses shall be made operative. This matter is therefore submitted for the decision of the Government, in conjunction with the problem of tram and road co-operation. RAILWAY LEVEL CBOSSINGS. A special effort is being made by the Board to secure the closing of level crossings over railway lines, especially on the great arterial routes; or to deviate these routes so that it shall not be necessary for any except side-road traffic to use these crossings. In pursuance of this policy, work is at present in progress to eliminate the following crossings :— 2 near Breadalbane and Cullerin. • j 2 „ Wingen. 1 „ Blandford. 1 „ Yallah.

6

Surveys have also been made to enable schemes to be prepared for avoiding level crossings as follows:— near Granville. Bowenfels. Yarra. Ryde. Campbelltown. Moss Vale. 2 „ Gosford. 1 Liverpool.

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARD DRAWINGS. The Board has compiled standard specifications and type drawings for various classes of road construction, culverts and road structures generally. These are available for issue to Municipal and Shire Engineers on request. The use of these standards will not only bring about very desirable uniformity of work, but will also effect a considerable saving of time and trouble to the Engineers who avail themselves of this assistance. The following is a list of the standards and forms made available in this way:— Standard Specifications :— Formation, Pipe culverts and headwalls, Ordnance fencing, Split post and rail fencing, ' Chain wire fencing, Post and wire (boundary) fencing, Reinforced concrete box culverts, Reinfdrced concrete bridge, Concrete arch culvert, Gravel pavement, Road rollers (oil and steam) (2), 11 Waterbound macadam surface course, J Broken stone base course, Telford base course, : :;" ^Reconstruction of an existing pavement, to form a base for new surface course, 7 Specification for tar and bitumen (10) (to be superseded by specifications of Commonwealth " Engineering Standards Association when available), ' '. Tar surfacing, Bitumen surfacing, using tar priming coat, Tar re-surfacing, Bitumen re-surfacing, Tar penetration unacadam, I*remixed bituminous macadam, Cement concrete pavement (town roads), Cement concrete pavement (country roads) Integral concrete kerb and gutter, Separate concrete kerb and gutter, , Asphaltic concrete surface on cement concrete base, Bitumen penetration macadam.

: •' Standard Drawings :— Standard cross-sections, 16', 18', and 20' pavement (3), 1 Standard cross-sections for flat country, Types A, B, and C (3), Typical cross-sections of Boulevard Roads, 99 feet and 132 feet wide (21. Pipe culverts drawings :— ^ - (a) Single pipe1' 3",—1' 9", 2' 0", 3' 0" — 3' 6", 4' 0", 4' 6", 5' 0", 6' 0" (7) . : •. • (b) Double pipe-(7) • ' "" (c) Treble pipe (2): . •'.•;/• Culvert inlet sump, — t'J"t ... Pipe joint, '-iJ Method of elimination of causeway, 'H ...Ordnance fenciag, '- ' ; 45

Standard Drawing's—continued. ' Split post and rail fencing, Chain wire fencing, Post and wire (boundary) fencing (12), Flood gates (2), bubble retaining walls (2), Signboards (4), < Single span timber bridges (3), Timber bridge details, Standard box culverts (5), Bridge scupper, Arch culverts (6), Bridge name plate, Edging for bituminous macadam, Integral concrete kerb and gutter, Separate concrete kerb and gutter, • Vehicle crossing, Construction signs (2), Bridge posts, Culvert posts, Pipe handrailing.

Standard Instruction (excluding bulletins):— Vertical curves, Horizontal curves, Standard bridge loading, Stresses and details steel bridge design (3), Stresses concrete bridge design, Broken stone, Patching potholes, Use of tar and bitumen.

General Diagrams . Earthwork diagram, Waterway diagram (2).

Forms:— Census forms, . .Bridge data form, Data accompanying bridge design.

: BULLETINS. During the year several additional bulletins for the information oi Councils and their Engineers have been issued. The completed list is as follows :— 1. Country Main Roads—General Information. 2. Metropolitan Main Roads—Information concerning the survey and preparation of drawings for the design of Metropolitan Main Roads. 3. Existing Main Roads—Information for the guidance of Surveyors and Engineers engaged on surveys and reconstruction work. 4. Finance Management and Cost Account System for road works (when carried out by the Board with its own staff). 5. (a) Preparation of yearly programme of Maintenance and Construction work on Main Roads by Shire and Municipal Councils, (b) Extra assistance by Board on ordinary Main Roads outside the County of Cumberland. „ ; -ij 6. Recoupment of engineering and clerical charges on Main Roads in terms of Section 42 of the Act— 4; Commission. 7. Accounting for expenditure on Main Roads—Certificates of Expenditure.

BRIDGES. - - ^<:'Of the bridges and large culverts of which construction has been authorised by the Board, there had been built at the 30th June, 1927, a total of sixty-five structures having a combined length of 1,993 feet, comprising twenty-seven bridges, twenty-six concrete culverts and seven timber culverts and concrete causeways. In addition, construction of forty-nine structures, having a combined length of 2,792 feet was in progress, including twelve concrete bridges and twelve timber bridges of an average length of about 100 feet. During the year, a type of bridge not previously adopted in this State has been designed, and is illustrated on page 46. It is particularly adapted to a situation where the cost of abutments and wing- walls would be large, on account of their height, and its principle is capable of application to a series of spans as well as to the one span illustrated. StandardOrdnance fence? cStandgrd Ordnance fence

Stone pi&chtXf to extendP-0 beforvtfe nqlura/su/face I

SCALE

footings to be set at /east ft?*tnto rocA Contract depth ff.i 48-50 Contract depth #1.43 50 ii ]

STANDARD LOADING FOB HIGHWAY BRIDGES. ' In order to obtain uniform strength on main road bridges throughout the State, the Board his adopted the standard loading for bridge design as shown hereunder.. This standard loading has been designed to cover all ordinary loads met-with at the present time, with a margin for future uncertainties, and to provide for military traffic for defence purposes. The Board's standard loading has been adopted by the Railway Commissioners for highway bridges^ and the Board wishes to express its appreciation of j their kind co-operation in this respect. *

MAIN ROADS BOARD OF NEW SOUTH WALES -

— Standard Loading For Highwav Bridges 1327-—-

-fMPACTAUCWANCS. -fifOUCSO IOAO/N6 fOff C£#TAfN MOTHS The fof/owingpercentage /her•eases in stresses for bridges wider than two traffic tones f20 feet) due to Hire /ood/ng on carriageway sria// be moafe. the hading an main members shaft he. Beams, s/abs, sir in gens, f/oor/hg 25 % determined from the app/icat/dn of ff+H*) /ones of traffic, where tV - width of carriage 20?*. f/oarbeams changers fTruss Bridges) Way. Mother members of superstructure- f5 %. for bridges narrower than two traffic fanes. Substructure. fO %• fZOfeet), the /oad/ng for girders, trusses & fTear beams shot/ consist of one-tenth of the Toad for a singie traffic fane f/O.feet) muftipHed by themdth of the bridge.

l/ALUES Of UN/fPRIMLY0/Sm3l/T£O IOAO. I OAD/NG ON FOOTWAYS

for spans of fOO feet or /ess fOOpounds per sq.ft. for spans of5Qfeetor/ess. SOpoundsperso. ft. for spans over /OO feet but for spans over SOfeetbut not exceed/no' 200feet 90pounds persq. ft. not exceed/ng'100'feet To poundsperso. ft. for spans over 200 feet bub for spans over /oo feet 60pounds per soft not exceeding JOOfeeb. SO pounds per. sa. ft. ffaarir?gt stringers and brockets of footways 80pcunosper. sa. ft

W/NO LOAO. Thirty (30)pounds per. sf foot.

APPROl/fO on behaTfof THE MAfN 0OADS 80Ar7Q. . Of M.S. W.

designing fngineer? 4.8

MOTOR. REGISTRATION AND - TAXES.-. .. In the; last Annual. Report, the statistics of motor registration and taxation for New South "Wales w*?§cgiy.6.U. • ;Aclding the figures for the past year, obtained by courtesy, of. Superintendent, Turbet. in • charge, of .Traffic. Police and Motor Registration, the returns now stand as follows :—

Total Tax Average - Year. Cars. Lorries. Cycles. Total Vehicles. from nil per Motor Vehicles. Vehicle. _

£ £ 2,351 2,023 4,374 3,975 2,788 6,763 5,944 3,804 9,748 1913 7,661 411 4,880 12,952 1914 10,002 588 6,369 16,959 11,340 749 6,401 18,496 60,030 3-245 14,165 1,037 7,059 22,261 59,446 2-670 1917 17,451 1,336 8,094 26,881 73,682 2-741 19,778 1,588 8,711 30,077 84,997 2-825 23,103 2,094 10,236 35,433 101,602 2-867 1920 26,199 2,901 10,991 40,091 117,784 2-937 28,665 3,524 11,291 43,480 130,701 3006 1922 34,762 4,465 12,143 51,370 161,488 3143 46,427 7,626 14,345 68,398 219,506 3-209 62,471 11,970 18,112 92,553 299,684 3-238 1925 82,175 16,276 22,536 120,987 657,961 5-438 136,809 1925 26 92,593 20,152 24,064 1,001,872 7-323 119,797 27,202 174,425 1926 27 27,426 1,249,774 7-165

Last year, mathematical curves and estimates were prepared on the then available data with the object of obtaining some indication of what the probable growth of motor vehicles and motor taxation revenues would be. It is recognised that such estimates are not necessarily reliable, yet they are not without value. With the additional information available from year to year, these calculations can be checked and rechecked, and with a series of yearly checks more reliable results will,in due course,be obtained. Fresh diagrams and estimates have been deduced from the available data, with the following results :•—

Total Tax Average Total Tax Average Year ending 30th June— Total from all Motor Total Vehicles. per Year ending 30th -lunc— Vehicles. from all Motor per * Vehicles. Vehicle. Vehicles. Vehicles.

£ - £ £ £ 1928 217,000 1,520,000 701 1933 450,000 2,940,000 6-53 1929 262,000 1,790,000 6-85 1934 489,000 3,180,000 6-50 308,000 2,070,000 6-73 1935 522,000 3,390,000 6-50 1931 355,000 2,350,000 6-63 1936 . ... 549,000 3,570,000 ' 6-50 1932 403,000 2,640,000 6-56 1937 573,000 3,730,000 6-50 i

It needs to be clearly understood that this calculation is based on a number of assumptions. It assumes a continuance of existing conditions—a continuous growth of population, to prevent the attainment of what we may call the " saturation " point—a continuance of good seasons—and various other good conditions.

MANUFACTURE OF ROAD ROLLERS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. Probably the most important tool used in road-making is the heavy power-driven road roller, and it is necessary for the Board and the Councils throughout the State to purchase and use many of these machines. In order to avoid having to send money out of the State, the Board approached several engin­ eering firms and urged them to consider entering upon the manufacture of road rollers. Meeting with a favourable response from two local firms, the Board ordered, three 10-12 " McLaren " Steam-Road-Rollers from Gibson, Battle, and Company and one " Lion " 10-12. roller from Armstrong, Holland Limited. These are, up to the present, giving satisfactory service.

INDUSTRIAL MATTERS. As the Board has, in the carrying out of its works, over 3,500 workmen employed (quite apart, from the greater number employed on Main Road works being carried out by Councils, assisted by the Board), many industrial questions have arisen. To assist the Board's Engineers to deal with these, the Board secured the services of an experienced industrial expert. This officer investigates the conditions of labour on each of the works, assists the Resident Engineers at hearings of the requests of workmen, assists the Supervising Engineers in the settlement of strikes and other labour disputes and watches the interests of the Board in proceedings before the Industrial Tribunals. The results have been very satisfactory and the Board is having little difficulty with the workmen, whose interests are considered in every reasonable way compatible with efficiency.

COST OF ADMINISTRATION. -The total cost of administration, taking all three funds together, has been £38,640 for the period under review, and the total cash expenditure (excluding commitments) has been £3,107,738. This works out at 1.24 per cent, on the expenditure, as compared with the 1.41 per cent, shown by the previous Annual Report. The cost of survey for a specific work, the cost of designing that work, and the cost of managing the construction of that work are, of course, charged to construction and not to administration. 49

DELAY IN APPOINTING STAFF. In last year's report, the Board set out the unsatisfactory position existing in relation to the appointment of staff. That position remained unaltered at 30th June, 1927.

SCHEME OF ORGANISATION. The present scheme of organisation of the Board's staff and work are set out on the graph on page 50, which needs no further explanation' The organisation is a growing one and changes may prove to be needed. These will be made as required.

AUDIT. At the time of the preparation of the Board's previous report to Parliament, the audit of the Board's accounts had not been made, and for that reason the Board did not include the Balance Sheet. The audit has since been made by the Auditor-General's Department, and the report of Mr. A. Creagh, Senior Inspector of Public Accounts {dated 28th May 1927), after traversing the whole field of the Board's activities, concludes with the following sentence :—" The books of account have been carefully kept, and the result of my examination satisfactory." In this year's report, the Board includes the Balance-sheet for the period which ended 30th June, 1926, omitted from the previous report, now audited; and also the Balance-sheet for period ended 30th June 1927, not yet audited.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. The Board desires again to place on record its sincere appreciation of the splendid spirit displayed by its staff. Without the cordial co-operation which the staff has given, the results of the Board's efforts would be negligible. The courtesy and consideration of the various Ministers of the Crown to whose Departments the administration of the Main Roads Act has from time to time been attached, are also freely acknowledged. The Board is also indebted for assistance of various kinds, freely and generously given to it by Mr. George S. Mitchell (General Manager of the State Monier Pipe and Reinforced Concrete Works and the State Metal Quarries), Mr. T. B. Cooper (President of the Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board), Dr. J. J. C. Bradfield (Chief Engineer for the Sydney Harbour Bridge) and to the Railway Commis­ sioners of New South Wales and many of their leading officers. Last, but not least, the sincere thanks of the Board are due and are tendered to the Executive Committees of the Local Government Association and the Shires Association, and to the many Councils, town and shire clerks and municipal and shire engineers who have co-operated with it.

J. GARLICK, (President). H. H. NEWELL, (Member). T. H. UPTON, (Member). 22nd December, 1927. 50

BOARD PRESIDENT

, MMBERMEHBL.

f$\

SURVEY CONSTRUCTION

RESUMPTION SURVEYS PLANS COUNTRY METROPOLITAN

/2\

DESIGN MAINTENANCE

ROADS BRIDGES COUNTRY METROPOLITA N

COUNTRYI FMPOUIJ |CONCREIE

/3\

PLANT& PURCHASING /7\ COUNTRY COUNCILS SECTION

/4\ INSPECTION SUPERVISION

INDUSTRIAL & EMPLOYMENT

10 CORRESPONDENCE! ACCOUNTS INSPECTION INTERNAL LEGAL BRANCH COUNCILS & RECORDS BRANCH ACCOUNTS AUDIT

PAY BOOK COUNCILS DAFTLLWO INSPfiCtlOtf SIMM SEC™ KEEPING ACCOUNTS OF WAGESMOURN S 51

PART VI.—APPENDICES.

COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND MAIN ROADS FUND.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1926. Part I—Maintenance and Miscellaneous.

June 30— £ s. d. June 30— £ s. d. To Maintenance of Main Roads and Bridges 148,610 18 11 By Motor Revenue, Section 10 (2) and (3) Main Repayment of Loans under Section 13, Main 145,471 14 2 Roads Act, 1924. 353,323 19 11 Roads Act, 1924. Levy on Councils—Contributions under Sec­ Miscellaneous Grants to Councils and Mis­ 3,005 0 8 tion 11, Main Roads Act, 1924. 368,165 14 5 cellaneous payments. Parliamentary Appropriation, Section 10-1 (c), Administrative expenses, including salaries, 10,630 14 8 Main Roads Act, 1924. 29,835 5 3 travelling expenses, rent, printing, stamps, Miscellaneous receipts stationery, general expenses, &c. . 1,949 13 2 Balance carried forward to Part II 445,656 4 4

753,274 12 9 753,274 12 9

Part II—Construction.

June 30— £ s. d. June 30— £ s. d. To Construction and reconstruction of Main Roads 445,656 4 4 and Bridges— Loan Appropriation Section 10(1), Main Roads . 300,000 0 0 89,644 12 9 Act, 1924. 230,148 8 7 Commonwealth Government Vote for recon­ 68,000 0 0 (c) From Commonwealth Government Vote 57,878 7 10 ditioning and strengthening Main Roads. 435,984 15 2

• £ 813,656 4 4 £ 813,656 4 4

COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND MAIN ROADS FUND.

BALANCE SHEET AS AT THE 30TH JUNE, 1926.

LIABILITIES. ASSETS. £ s. d. £ s. d. Sundry creditors 39,632 6 8 Balance of Fund and Sub-advance Accounts 181,830 6 5 Balance of Income and Expenditure Account. 435,984 15 2 Stock on hand 2,506 2 8 £ s. d. Plant and other assets 69,268 14 10 Less depreciation 3,813 14 0 65,455 0 10 Sundry debtors— Council's contributions 83,525 7 4 Commonwealth Government 21,542 8 2 State Government for Taxa- 18,089 9 9 tion (June collection). State Government for Loan 100,000 0 0 appropriation. . Miscellaneous 2,668 6 8 225,825 11 11

475,617 1 10 475,617 1 10

S. R. HENDERSON, Accountant. Having examined the" books, accounts and vouchers of the Main Roads Board, and obtained all the information and explanations required, I certify that the above Balance Sheet represents a correct statement of the affairs of the County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund as revealed therein. A. CREAGH, 24th May, 1927. Senior Inspector of Public Accounts.

COUNTRY MAIN ROADS FUND.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1926. Part I—Maintenance and Miscellaneous.

June 30— £ s. June 30— £• s. d. To Maintenance of Main Roads and Bridges 328,283 12 By Motor Revenue, Section 10 (2) and 20 (2) 1,120,170 8 0 Miscellaneous payments 4,619 14 Main Roads Act, 1924. Administrative expenses 13,226 7 Parliamentary Appropriation Section 20-1 (6) 114,930 0 0 Balance carried forward to Part II 890,559 4 ; Roads Act, 1924. Miscellaneous receipts ...... 1,588 9 10

1,236,688 17 10 1,236,688 17 10 52

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT—continued. Part 11—Construction.

June 30— June 30— £ s. d. To Construction and reconstruction of Main Roads By Balance brought forward from Part I... 890,559 4 1 and Bridges— Loan Appropriation Section 20-1 (f) Main 400,000 0 0 (a) From Revenue (State Funds) 126,989 16 0 Roads Act, 1924. (b) From Loans (State Funds) 135,613 9 8 Commonwealth and State Government Vote 361,353 17 6 (c) From Commonwealth Government Vote 167,350 19 8 for Developmental Main Roads, Section Balance 1,224,010 16 3 20-1 (a), Main Roads Act, 1924. Local Government Department contribution... 2,052 0 0 1,653,965 1 7 1,653,965 1 7

COUNTRY MAIN ROADS FUND.

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30TH JUNE, 1926.

£ s. d. £ s. d. Sundry creditors 19,417 15 5- Balance of Fund and Sub-advance 677,340 13 11 Insurance reserve 2,500 0 '0 Account. Balance of Income and Expenditure Account 1,224,010 16 3 Stock on hand 5,723 4 3 £ s. d. Plant .3,174 15 9 Less depreciation 186 8 1 7 8 Sundry debtors— Loans for roadwork 42,341 0 o Loans for plant 40,902 3 4 State Government for Motor 56,575 12 3 Taxation (June collec­ tions). State Government for Loan 300,000 0 0 Appropriation. Commonwealth Government 118,919 19 10 for Developmental Main Roads. Miscellaneous •. 1,137 10 0 559,876 5 10

1,245,928 11 8 ,-£ 1,245,928 11 8

S. R. HENDERSON, Accountant.""- Having examined the books, accounts and vouchers of the Main Roads Board, and obtained all the information and explanations required, I certify that the above Balance Sheet represents a correct statement of the affairs of the Country Main Roads Fund as revealed therein. A. CREAGH, 24th May, 1927. .' . Senior Inspector of Public Accounts.

DEVELOPMENTAL ROADS FUND.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR PERIOD ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1926.

June 30— £ s. d. June 30— '' £ s. d. To Construction of Developmental Roads from 101,468 .2 11 By Commonwealth...Government. Grant for De­ 137,675 12 6 Commonwealth and State Government velopmental Roads. Funds. State Government Subsidy to Commonwealth 119,215 12 4 162,535 1 11 Government Grant. State Government Vote, othea than Common- 7,112 0 0 wealth Subsidy.

£ 264,003 4 10 .\ : • • -.£ •264,003 4 10

BALANCE SHEET. - -

£ s. d. £ s. d. ; 1,000 O 0 7C,598 3 3 162,535"! 11 Sundry debtors— Commonwealth-Government,.. 92,936 18 8

163,535 1 11 £ 163,535 1 11

S. R. HENDERSON, Accountant! " Having examined the books, accounts and vouchers of the Main Roads Board, and obtained .all-the information/ and explanations required, I certify that the above Balance Sheet represents a correct statement of the affairs ^of the Developmental Roads Fund as revealed therein, A. CREAGH, 24th May, 1927. Senior Inspector of Public Accounts. 63

COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND MAIN ROADS FUND.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 30th JUNE, 1927. Part I—Maintenance and Miscellaneous.

1927—June 30— £ s. d. June 30— i'o Maintenance of Main Roads and Bridges 205,839 14 4 By Motor Revenue, Seotions 10 (2) and (3), Main 112,453 0 0 Repayment of Loans under Section 13, Main 90,149 7 1 Roads Act, 1924. Roads Act, 1924, and Section 181c, Local Levy on Councils—Contributions under Section 262,058 1 Government Act, 1919. 11, Main Roads Act, 1924. Miscellaneous payments 7,669 4 4 Parliamentary Appropriation, Section 10-1 (c), 25,000 0 0 Administrative expenses, including salaries, Main Roads Act, 1924. travelling expenses, rent, printing, sta­ 18,094 6 3 Miscellaneous receipts 4,007 12 3 tionery, general expenses, &c. Balance carried forward to Part II 81,766 - 1 9

£ 403,518 13 9 403,618 13 9

Part II—Construction.

Amount Amount Amount Amount expended expended received received to during year to during year ending 30-6-26. ending 30-6-26, 30-0-27. 30-6-27.

1927—June 30— s. d. June 30— To Construction and Recon- By Balance brought forward £ s. d. £ s. d. construction of Main from Part I 445,656 4 4 81,766 1 9 Roads and Bridges—• Loan Appropriation, sec. («) From Revenue 10-1 (g), Main Roads (State Funds) 8P.644 12 217,128 11 10 Act, 1924 300,000 0 0 265,216 (ft) From Loans (State 306,773 4 7 Loans raised by Councils, Funds) 23%148 8 331,024 17 8 sec. 181 (c), Local (c) From Councils' 561, J 73 6 3 Government Act, Loans 80,411 16 10 80,411 16 10 1919, and sec. 13, (d) From Common­ Main Roads Act, wealth Government 1924 38,282 8 0 Vote 57,878 7 10 19,405 15 0 77,284 2 10 Commonwealth Govern­ ment Vote for Re­ Total expenditure on Con­ conditioning and struction 3 77,671 647;971 1 4 1,025,642 10 6 Strengthening Main Roads 68,000 0 0 Miscellaneous receipts 9,807 11 0 To Balance 183,035 18 8 Total receipts for con­ Total 1,208,728 9 2 struction 813,656 4 4 395,072 4 10

COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND MAIN ROADS FUND.

BALANCE-SHEET AS AT 30TH JUNE, 1927.

LIABILITIES. ASSETS. £ s. d. Sundry Creditors—Supply of Stores and materials... Balance of Fund and Sub-advance Accounts 79,146 9 9 Balance of Income and Expenditure Account Stock on hand 12,456 0 3 £ s. d. Depot Buildings and other assets 44,203 4 2 Less Depreciation 1,768 6.7 42,434 17 7 Sundry Debtors—

Councils contributions under 79;946 8 10 Section 11, Main Roads • Act, 1924. Miscellaneous accounts 2,941 5 3 82.887 14 1

216,926 1 8

In addition to the liability stated above, repayment has to be made, over varying terms of years, of loans chargeable to the County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund, as provided in Section 13 of the Main Roads Act, and Section 181 (c) of the Local Government Act. The principal amount of such loans outstanding on 30th June, 1927, was £973^186 14s. lOd. 54

COUNTRY MAIN ROADS FUND.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1927. Part I—Maintenance and Miscellaneous.

1927—June 30— £ s. d. 1927—June 30— £ s. d. To Maintenance of Main Roads and Bridges 298,204 14 3 By Motor Revenue, Section 10 (2) and 20 (2), Main 452,382 0 0 , Repayment of Loans, Section 21, Main Roads 1,593 2 8 Roads Act, 1924. Act, 1924. ,, Parliamentary Appropriation Section 20-1 (6), 90,000 0 0 „ Plant Running Expenses, including deprecia­ 25,277 13 4 Main Roads Act, 1924. tion. „ Plant earnings 37,059 2 7 ,, Miscellaneous payments G,519 2 11 ,, Miscellaneous receipts 8,615 10 11 „ Administrative expenses, including salaries, 22.990 17 5 travelling expenses, rent, printing, sta­ tionery, general expenses, &c. „ Balance carried forward to Part II 233.471 2 11

£ 588,056 13 6 588,056 13 6

Part 11—Construction,

Amount Amount Amount expended Amount received expended during year Total. received during year Total. to ending to ending 30-0-20. 30-6-27. 30-6-26, 30-6-27.

1927—June 30— £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1927—June 30— £ s. d. £ 9. d. £ s. d. To Construction and Recon­ By Balance brought forward struction of Main from Part 1 890,559 4 1 233,471 2 11 1,124,030 7 0 Roads and Bridges— „ Loan Appropriation, sec. „ (ft) From Revenue 20-1 (/), Main Roads Act, (State Funds) 120,989 15 0 560,364 14 9 687,354 10 9 1924 .„ 400,000 0 0 300,000 0 0 700.000 0 0 „ (ft) From Loans (State „ Commonwealth and Funds) 135,613 9 8 470,249 19 9 605,803 9 f> State Governments ,, (c) From Common­ Vote for Develop­ wealth Government mental Roads, sec. Vote and State 20-1 (d), Main Roads Subsidy 167,350 19 8 164,104 6 8 331,516 6 4 Act, 1824 361,353 17 6 361,353 17 6 „ Contributions through Total expenditure on Local Government construction 429,954 5 4 1,194,779 1 2 1,624,733 6 6 Department 2,052 0 0 2,052 0 0 562,702 18 0 2,187,430 4 6 Total receipts for con- 1,653,965 1 7 633,471 2 11 2,137,436 4 6

COUNTRYJMAIN ROADS FUND.

BALANCE-SHEET AS AT 30TH JUNE, 1927.

LIABILITIES. £ s. d. ASSETS. s. d. Sundry creditors 38,600 7 5 Balance of Fund and Sub-advance Accounts 77,730 19 8 Insurance reserve 3,980 0 0 Stock on band 20,699 14 ,97 Balance of Income and Expenditure Account. 562,702 18 0 £ s. d. Plant and other assets 215,768 17 8 Less Depreciation 23,644 19 9 192,123 17 11 Sundry debtor*— Commonwealth Government 35,941 2 10 for reconditioning develop­ mental main roads. Loans to Councils for roadwork 134,164 10 4 Loans to Councils for plant ... 136,032 0 5 Miscellaneous Accounts 8,490 19 6 314,628 13 1

605,183 & 5 605,183 5 5 55

DEVELOPMENTAL ROADS FUND.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1927.

Amount Amount Amount expended Amount received Expenditure.. expended during year Total. Income. received during year Total. to ending to ending 30/6/26. . 30/6/27. 30/6/26. 30/6/27.

1927—June 30— £ s. d. £ s. d. £ a. d. 1927—Tunc 30— £ s. d. £ s. (1. £ s. d. To Construction of Develop­ Bv Loan Appropriation, sec. mental Roads— 29 (l)(c). Main Roads (i) Commonwealth and Act, 1024 138,000 0 0 138,000 0 0 State Funda) 101,468 2 11 131.883 12 6 233,351 15 4 „ Revenue Appropriation, „ (b) From Revenue sec. 8 (1) (c), Finance (State Funda) 12,903 2 4 12,903 2 4 (Taxation Manage­ „ (c) From Loam (State ment) Act, 1926 138,000 0 0 138,000 0 0 Funds) 7,220 0 2 7,220 0 2 „ Commonwealth Govern­ ment Grant 137,675 12 6 137,675 12 6 Total expenditure 101,468 2 11 152,006 14 11 253,474 17 10 ,, State Government Sub­ sidy to Common­ wealth Government... 119,215 12 4 119,215 12 4 286,528 18 0 ,, Miscellaneous receipta 7,112 0 0 0 11 0 7,112 11 0 540,003 15 10 264,003 4 10 276,000 11 0 540,003 15 10

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30TH JUNE, 1927.

LIABILITIES. ASSETS.

£ s. d. £ s. d. Sundry Creditors— 268,729 13 9 Payments to Treasury, interest on Develop­ 1,704 2 0 Sundry debtors— mental roads. Commonwealth Government for Developmental 18,512 10 4 286,523 18 0 Roads. Councils for i nterest on Developmental Roads.. 990 15 11

288,233 0 0 £ 288,233 0 0

S. R. HENDERSON, Accountant.

[1 Map.]

Sydrey: Alfred James. Kent, Government Printer—1928.