v DEPARTMENT OF 1932. MAIN ROADS (SECOND SESSION.) LIBRARY JUL 9 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. REU ' 33 NEW SOUTH WALES MAIN ROADS BOARD SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR Period ending 30th June, 1932, Ordered by the Legislative Assembly to be printed, 15 December, 1932. SYDNEY: ALFRED JAMES KENT, I.S.O., GOVERNMENT PRINTER. 1933- 32515 •107-a [Ss. 2d.] MAIN ROADS ACT, 1924-31. SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. CONTENTS. PAG! • PART I.—PRELIMINARY (Ministerial and Legislative)— The Minister 1 Changes in Administration ... ... ... ... ... ... I Alterations of Boundaries and Headquarters of Country and Metropolitan Divisions... ... ' ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Federal Aid Roads Agreement—Amendment ... ... ... ... ... 2 PART II.—COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND MAIN ROADS FUND— Income and Expenditure 3 Balance-sheet... ... ... ... ... .., ... ... ... ... 4 Loan Liabilities ... ... ... ... ... 4 Construction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 Summary of Construction Work and Expenditure ... ... , 7 Maintenance and Minor Improvement ... ... ... ... ... ... 11 Maintenance by Councils ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11 Maintenance by Board and Department ... ... ... ... 11 Main Roads—Proclamation and Length ... ... ... ... 16 Secondary Roads—Declaration and Length ... ... ... 16 PART III.—COUNTRY MAIN ROADS FUND— Income and Expenditure ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17 Balance-sheet... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 Loan Liabilities ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 Construction Work on State Highways ... ... ... ... 18 General Programme and Policy ... ... ... 19 Councils' Contributions to Main Roads ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 Maintenance and Minor Improvement Works on State Highways ... ... 20 Proclamation of New' Main Roads ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 Length,of Main Roads ... 20 Maintenance and. Minor Improvement Works by Councils • ... 20 Maintenance and Minor Improvement Works by Board and Department- ... 26 Length of Country Highways controlled by Department ... ... ... 27 Constructioirby Councils 28 Construction by Board and Department ... ... ... ... 31 Summary'of Construction Expenditure ... ... ... ... ... ... 32 PART IV—DEVELOPMENTAL ROADS FUND— Income and Expenditure ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33 Balance-sheet... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33 Total Expenditure on Developmental Roads ... ... ... 34 Proclamation of New Developmental Roads ... ... ... 34 Summary of Individual Works and Expenditure... ... ... 34 PART V.—FEDERAL AID ROADS FUND— Income and Expenditure ... ... ... ... 36 Balance-sheet... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36 Federal Aid Payments—Suspension of ... ... ... ... 36 Future of Federal Aid Roads Fund 37 Summary and Expenditure, in Road Classification ... 37 Programme of Work and Expenditure ... ... 38 PART VI.—MISCELLANEOUS— Summary of Annual Revenue and Expenditure—All Funds ... 42 Summary of Work Authorised, Completed and in Progress 42 Motor Vehicles Registrations ... ... ... 44 Industrial and Employment 44 Cost of Administration 45 . Acknowledgments « 45 *9251§—A MAIN ROADS ACT, 1924-31. SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. (FOR PERI OP1 1ST JULY, 1931, TO 30 m JUNE, 1932.) The Honourable the Minister for Transport, Sydney. In accordance with the provisions of section six of the Main Roads Act, 1924-31, I have the honour to submit the Seventh Annual Report under the Main Roads Act, for presentation to Parliament, through the Minister. The Report covers the period from 1st July, 1931, to 30th June, 1932, though a few matters referred to are carried beyond the latter date for convenience and completeness of record. PART I.—PRELIMINARY. MINISTER. For the period 1st July, 1931, to 31st August, 1931, the Hon. J. McGirr.. M.L.A., as Minister for Local Government, was in charge of the administration of the Main Roads Act. Following the passage of the State Transport (Co-ordination) Act, 1931, the administration of the Main Roads Act, 1924-29, was by proclamation'in the Government Gazette of 1st' September, 1931, vested .in the Colonial Treasurer, the Hon. J. T. Lang, M.L.A. In March, 1932, the Ministry of Transport Act, 1932, was passed, and by proclamation published in Government Gazette of\'22nd March, 1932, became operative from that date. The Hon. J. McGirr, M.L.A., who was given the .'portfolio of Minister for Transport, then took charge until, consequent upon the change of. Government in May;.1932, he was succeeded by Lieut. Col. the Hon. M. F. Bruxner, D.S.O., M.L.A., as Minister for Transport froni"21st May, 1932. CHANGES IN ADMINISTRATION. With the passage of the Government Railways and Main Roads (Amendment) Act in December, 193J, the personnel of the Main Roads Board was altered. Mr. J. Garlick, President, whose term of office expired on 6th January, 1932, was not re-appointed. Under the Act mentioned, Mr. H. H. Newell, whose term of office,'as a Member of the Main Roads Board was due to expire on 8th March, 1932, was appointed as President of - the Board, and Mr. T. H. Upton, whese term of office expired on 18th March, 1932, was re-appoiiited as'-Member, a proviso being included in the Act that these appointments would terminate on 31st Dccemit)er/-l932, or on such earlier date as might he provided in any Act. Following the passage of the Ministry of Transport Act, 1932, which, was assented to on 22ndMarch, 1932, the Government Railways and Main Roads (Amendment) Act, 1931, was repealed and a Department of Transport was constituted. The Act provided for the transfer to a new corporate -body (The Transport Commissioners of New South Wales) of the powers and functions previously exercised by the Board, which from the date the Ministry of Transport Act came into force (22nd March, 1932) ceased to exist. Matters concerning main and developmental roads—and in the. Metropolitan Division, secondary roads—that is, all things dealt with under the Main Roads Act, 1924-31, were, from the 22nd March. 1932, a responsibility of the Way and Works Branch of the Transport Department under the charge of Mr. A. C. Fewtrell as Transport Commissioner. Mr. Newell was appointed a Transport Commissioner and placed in charge of the Highway and Roads Transportation Branch, and llr. T. H. Upton was employed from 28th March, 1932, to 29th April. 1932, in an advisory capacity by the Department of Transport to assist the Commissioner in the administration of the Road Maintenance and Construction-Section of the Way and Works Branch. Following upon the change of Government previously referred to, a proclamation was issued in the Government Gazette of 24th June, 1932, whereby the administration of the Main Roads Act, 1924-31, was transferred from the Way and Works Branch and again placed under the control of Mr. H. H. Newell. At the same time, the Commissioners, by resolution under Section II of the Ministry of Transport Act, vested him with the full powers of the Transport Commissioners in respect of the Main Roads Act, and on 1st July, 1932, Mr. T. H. Upton was again appointed in an advisory capacity. Following on his appointment as Acting Transport Commissioner for Tramways and Road Transport, Mr. S. A. Maddocks took over from Mr. Newell the administration of road transport. \ 2 ALTERATION OF BOUNDARIES AND HEADQUARTERS OF COUNTRY AND METROPOLITAN DIVISIONS. Following the temporary absorption of main and developmental road matters with railway and tramway affairs in the Way and Works Branch of the Department of Transport (referred to in the preceding paragraph), the divisional boundaries were varied and the previously existing seven main roads divisions (with headquarters at Sydney (2), Queanbeyan, Wagga Wagga, Parkcs, Tain worth and Glen Innes) changed into transport districts (with headquarters at Sydney, Newcastle, Goulburn, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst and Tamworth). This arrangement took effect from 1st May, 1932. The control of the North Coast District from Newcastle was not, however, so far as main roads were concerned, convenient, and on the reconstitution of the administration of main roads affairs as a separate section, the matter was again reviewed, and the original number of divisions reverted to (but with modified boundaries) with headquarters at Sydney, Newcastle, Goulburn, Wagga Wagga. Parkes, Tamworth and Gl.cn Innes. The main differences between the present and the original arrangements are that a considerable portion of the old Outer Metropolitan Division has been included with the Metropolitan, whiles the remainder of the first named division, together with the Upper and Lower Northern and Central Western Divisions, have been adjusted to suit the new divisional headquarters at Newcastle. FEDERAL AID ROADS AGREEMENT—AMENDMENT. The negotiations between the Commonwealth and State Governments reviewed in' earlier reports' culminated during the year in the adoption of an amended agreement along the lines set out in those reports. It may be reiterated- briefly here that there is to be distributed between1 the States (on a population and area basis) the product of an import duty of 2-id. per gallon on petrol, together with an excise duty of lfd. per gallon. The new agreement permits the Commonwealth payments to be expended on any form of roadwork and reduces to a minimum the extent of Commonwealth control over disbursements. The amendment operated as from 1st July, 1931 and will continue until 31st December,. 1936. ^ Acceptance of the amended agreement was ratified by Parliament by the passage of the Federal Aid Roads (Further Agreement) Act, 1931, in October, 1931. This Act provides that the receipts from the Commonwealth Government