1948^t9. PARLIAMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS. TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR Year ended 30th June, 1949. Ordered to be printed, 28 October, 1949. Wholly set up and printed in Australia, by ALFRED HENRY PETTIFER, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES. 1950. • 25845—1 1949—447 [5s.] DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS, N.S.W. TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1949. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. The Minister 1 Legislation 1 SECTION I. FINANCE. Total Receipts and Payments 1 Review of the Financial Position of the Roads Funds ... ... 3 County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund ... ... ... ... ... 3 Country Main Roads Fund ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Developmental Roads Fund 5 SECTION II. OPERATIONS. The Main Roads System 7 County of Cumberland ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7 Planning of Newcastle and District Arterial Roads System ... ... ... 7 Planning of Wollongong-Port Kembla District Main Roads System 8 Country ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Alterations and Additions to the Main Roads System 10 Naming of Roads ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11 Rates of Assistance to Councils 11 Metropolitan Road Widening Schemes 11 Location of Major Roads ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 Road Construction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 County of Cumberland Works ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 Country Works (Excluding Western Division) 15 Developmental Roads and Works ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17 Works Carried Out for Other Authorities... ... ... ... ... ... 18 Maintenance and Minor Improvement Works ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 Bituminous Surface Treatment ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 Tree Planting 20 Mechanisation ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 Shoulder Maintenance 21 Traffic Lines 21 Snow Removal 21 Improvement Works ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21 Western Division ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 Bridges 23 Design ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 Maintenance ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 Construction 24 Ferries 26 Supply of Materials, Plant and Equipment ... ... ... ... ... ... 26, Plant Maintenance 27 Testing of Materials 27 SECTION III. PAGE. MISCELLANEOUS. Control of Weight of Loads on Road Vehicles 28 Road Signs 28 Direction Signs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28 Warning Signs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 Department of Road Transport Signs ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 Straying Stock 29 Railway Level-Crossings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 Instruction on Plant Maintenance and Operation 30 Employment and Industrial 30 Road Safety Exhibition 31 Conference of State Road Authorities 31 Main Roads Journal 31 Housing for Officers 32 Visits Abroad 32 SECTION IV. SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE. Financial Position 33 Capital Cost 33 Traffic 34 Maintenance 35 New Toll Barriers 35 Acknowledgments 36 SECTION V. APPENDICES. Appendix No. PAGE. 1 County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund—Statement of Receipts and Payments 37 2 Country Main Roads Fund—Statement of Receipts and Payments ... 38 3 Developmental Roads Fund—Statement of Receipts and Payments ... 39 4 Sydney Harbour Bridge Account 39 4A Sydney Harbour Bridge—Statement of Capital ... ... 40 5 Aggregate Statement of Income and Expenditure from the Inception of the Main Roads Board, 1st January, 1925, to 30th June, 1941, and of Cash Receipts and Payments from 1st July, 1941, to 30th June, 1949 40 6 Summary of Loan Liabilities—Main and Developmental Roads Funds... 43 7 County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund—Summary of Expenditure on Construction Works 44 8 Country Main Roads Fund—Summary of Expenditure on Construction Works 52 9 Developmental Roads Fund—Summary of Expenditure on Construction Works 59 10 County of Cumberland Mam Roads Fund—Expenditure during the Year 1948-49 on the Maintenance and Improvement of Main Roads, Bridges and Ferries 61 11 Country Main Roads Fund—Expenditure During the Year 1948-49 on the Maintenance and Improvement of Main Roads, Bridges and Ferries 64 12 Proclamation of Main Roads, 1948-49 72 13 Secondary Roads ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 72 14 Proclamation of Developmental Roads, 1948-49 ... ... ... ... 73 15 Proclamation of Developmental Works, 1948-49 73 16 Length of Proclaimed Roads in New South Wales 74 17 Length and Percentage of Main and Secondary Roads Maintained by the Department and Councils in the Eastern and Central Division of the State as at 30th June, 1949 74 18 Expenditure on Main and Secondary Roads by the Department of Main Roads and Contributions by Councils from 1925-26 to 1948-49 ... 75 19 Peat's Ferry Bridge—Financial Statement and Traffic Statistics from 5th May, 1945, to 30th June, 1949 76 20 Variation in Number of Employees Engaged on State Highways, Main and Trunk Roads 77 DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS, NEW SOUTH WALES. TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR PERIOD 1st JULY, 1948, TO 30th JUNE, 1949. The Honourable the Minister for Transport, Sydney. In accordance with the provisions of section 6 of the Main Roads Act^ 1924-49, I have the honour to submit the Twenty-fourth Annual Report for presentation to Parliament. The report covers the period from 1st July, 1948, to 30th June, 1949, though a few matters referred to are carried beyond the latter date for convenience and completeness of record. MINISTER. During the period under review the Honourable M. 0'Sullivan, M.L.A., Minister for Transport, was in charge of the administration of the Main Roads Act, except for the period 23rd April, 1949, to 21st June, 1949, when the Honourable W. F. Sheahan, LL.B., M.L.A., was Acting Minister for Transport during the Minister's absence overseas. LEGISLATION. The Main Roads (Federal Aid Roads and Works) Amendment Act, 1949, was passed by Parliament and assented to by His Excellency the Governor on 21st June, 1949. This Act authorises the payment to the Main and Developmental Roads Funds of moneys made available to the State by the Commonwealth Government under the Common­ wealth Aid Roads and Works Act 1947-1948 and allocated for expendi­ ture on proclaimed main and developmental roads and other works connected with transport. The Act also, to the extent required, provides legislative machinery for the disbursement by the Department of the moneys provided by the Commonwealth. SECTION I—FINANCE. TOTAL RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS. The principal revenues of the Department are derived from the proceeds of taxation on motor vehicles and on petrol. Due to the growth in the number of motor vehicles in use in the State, receipts from motor vehicle taxation increased by £222,197, or almost 10 per cent, in 1948-49 compared with 1947-48, the figures being £2,254,336 in 1947-48 and £2,476,533 in 1948-49. Normal petrol taxation receipts for 1947-48 and 1948-49 were £1,331,637 and £1,384,020 respectively, the increase in 1948-49 being £52,383, or 4 per cent. On the other hand, the receipts of a non­ recurring amount of £398,830 in 1947-48 representing petrol taxation not drawn by the State in earlier years meant that the total petrol taxation received in 1948-49 was £346,447 less than in 1947-48, 2 Whereas loan funds to the extent of £300,000—£250,000 for Country Main Roads and £50,000 for Developmental Roads—were obtained in 1947-48, no loan funds were applied for in 1948-49. The total Roads Funds receipts of the Department in 1948-49 were £4,808,047, being £331,191 less than in the previous year. Payments made in respect of maintenance work showed little variation as between 1947-48 and 1948-49. Construction payments increased by 31 per cent, from £1,413,694 in 1947-48 to £1,856,354 in 1948-49. Rises in costs during the year accounted for approximately 12 per cent, of the increase. Total payments in 1948-49 were £4,999,405 being £420,359 less than the amount of £5,419,764 paid out in 1947-48, although it is to be noted that the 1947-48 payments included a non-recurring item of £696,096 in respect of a special liquidation of outstanding loan liabilities. The table hereunder provides a summary of the operations on the Roads Funds during the year ended 30th June, 1949. Details of the receipts and payments for the financial year and of the cash avail­ able are shown in Appendices 1 to 3. County of Develop­ Compara­ Cumberland Country mental tive Total Heading. Total. Main Roads Main Roads Roads for Fund. Fund. Fund. 1947^8. RECEIPTS. £ £ £ £ £ Motor Vehicle Taxation levied by the State Government... 581,985 1,894,548 2,476,533 2,254,336 Share of Motor Vehicle Registration and License Fees collected by the State Government 32,100 7,790 39,890 12,015 Current Receipts from Petrol Tax (Gallonage) paid to the State by the Commonwealth Government 325,245 1,058,775 1,384,020 1,331,637 Proceeds of Petrol Tax not drawn by the State during 1943-44 and 1944-45 398,830 Commonwealth Government Funds for Expenditure on Proclaimed Developmental Roads 52,794 52,794 120,857 Contributions by Councils 232,236 5,363 237,599 249,674 Repayable Loan Moneys provided by State Government... 300,000 State Government, Commonwealth Government and other Authorities for Special Work 44,276 74,384 10,000 128,660 91,728 Hire of Department's Plant and Motor Vehicles 314,006 314,006 269,018 Other 146,607 27,873 174,545 111,143 1,362,509 3,382,744 62,794 4,808,047 5,139,238 PAYMENTS. Maintenance— Ordinary Works 433,923 1,937,710 2,371,633 2,482,089 Authorities 7,490 1,167 8,657 5,718 441,413 1,938,877 2,380,290 2,487,807 Construction— Ordinary Works 631,746 1,052,504 74,910 1,759,160 1,326,986 Special Works carried out on behalf of the State Government, Commonwealth Government and Authorities 36,829 59,415 950 97,194 86,708 668,575 1,111,919 75,860 1,856,354 1,413,694 Payment of Sinking Fund Interest, and Exchange on Loans) 5,479 217,182 222,661 218,472 Special Liquidation of Outstanding Loan Liability 696,096 Purchase of Assets, including Road Plant and Motor Vehicles 23,160 75,378 98,538 148,059 Vehicles 183,004 183,004 122,077 Administrative Expenses 55,658 163,283 1,998 220,939 185,179 Other 37,433 180 5 37,618 148,380 1,231,718 3,689,823 77,863 4,999,404 5,419,764 y 3 REVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE ROADS FUNDS.