Ministry of Works and Development
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Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1870 |
Dissolved | 1993 |
Superseding agencies |
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Minister responsible |
The
Historically, the state has played an important part in developing the New Zealand economy. For many years the Public Works Department (which became the Ministry of Works in 1948 and the Ministry of Works and Development in 1974) undertook most major construction work in New Zealand, including roads, railways and power stations. After the reform of the state sector, beginning in 1984, the ministry disappeared and its remnants now have to compete for government work.[1]
The Ministry of Works and Development was disestablished in 1988 and a Residual Management Unit continued to oversee the Ministry's operations and assets until formally ending in 1993. It was abolished via the Ministry of Works and Development Abolition Act 1988.[2]
Structure and operations
The Head Office of the Ministry was in the Vogel Building in Wellington, named after former Premier Sir
During the Great Depression the department was relied on by the government to provide unemployment relief, constructing infrastructure mostly using human labour at reduced salaries. The First Labour Government resumed the department's original function as the development arm of the state although from May 1936 (when a new three year public works programme was announced) whence relief work for the unemployed not only continued but all relief workers were placed on the standard £4 a week rate of pay.[5]
The ministry was renamed the Ministry of Works on 16 March 1943 under the
In 1944 the ministry was involved in the "great furniture scandal" when asked to order items of furniture for the new Legation in Moscow, to be headed by Charles Boswell. The list of items to be shipped from New Zealand to Moscow (via Tehran and Central Asia) included 40 armchairs, 10 couches, a billiard table, and palm stands. Apparently made after looking at furniture in Government House and ministerial houses, the order could have seated almost the entire House of Representatives; it was cancelled by Prime Minister Peter Fraser.[7]
During the latter years of the Ministry there were seven District Offices (Auckland, Hamilton, Wanganui, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin) each headed by a District Commissioner of Works. In each District there were a number of Residency Offices (headed by a Resident Engineer) and each had a number of Depots. The primary purpose of this 6000 strong workforce was the maintenance of the existing and planning and construction of replacement sections of the State Highway network. In addition there were Project Offices set up for a particular purpose, such as to build a power project, airport, tunnel or irrigation scheme.
Dissolution
While the policy functions were either disestablished or passed on to other Government departments, the commercial operations were set up as Works and Development Services Corporation (a state-owned enterprise) and the computing bureau and the buildings maintenance units were sold. The corporation had two main subsidiaries, Works Consultancy Services and Works Civil Construction. These were sold in 1996 and became
Major projects
Military equipment
- Bob Semple tank (1941)
Military installations
- Ohakea and Whenuapaiaircraft hangars (1939)
- Stony Batter (1944)
- Wrights Hill Fortress (1943)
Electricity
Projects
- Waitaki Dam (Completed 1935)
- Roxburgh Dam
- Tekapo A (Completed 1951)
- Benmore Power Station (1965)
- Aviemore Dam (1968)
- Tekapo B
- C.
- Lake Ruataniwha
- Clyde Dam (Completed 1989)
- Te Anau and Manapouri Lake Control Structures (1971-1974)
- Huntly Power Station (Commissioned 1983)
In the North Island, the Tongariro Power Scheme was completed between 1964 and 1983.
Railways
History
Under the Public Works Act 1876, the Department of Public Works was responsible for the operation of
Projects
- North Island Main Trunk railway (completed 1908)
- Raurimu Spiral (1898)
- Otira Tunnel (completed 1923)
- East Coast Main Trunk Railway(completed 1928)
- Westfield deviation (completed 1929)
- Auckland railway station (1930)
- Stratford–Okahukura Line (completed 1932)
- Tawa Flat deviation (completed 1935)
- Kaimai Railway Tunnel (completed 1978)
- Wellington Urban Motorway (from 1965 to 1975) Project was stopped at Ghuznee Street, by the Government of the day. Completion is now being talked about, 45 years on.
See also
- Minister of Works (New Zealand)
- The Vogel Era
- Opus International Group
- Works Infrastructure
- Downer EDI Works
Notes
- ^ Mackley, Ian; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Ministry of Works and Development staff". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ "Ministry of Works and Development Abolition Act 1988 (1988 No 42)". Parliamentary Counsel Office. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Napier City Council; Art Deco Trust (2004). Art Deco Inventory (PDF) (2nd ed.). pp. 78–80. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "8. – History of immigration – Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand". www.teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ISBN 0-474-00138-5.
- ^ "AtoJs Online — Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives — 1946 Session I — D-03 MINISTRY OF WORKS REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF WORKS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH, 1946". atojs.natlib.govt.nz. p. 9. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ISBN 978-06-700-7404-4.
References
- Rosslyn J. Noonan(1975, Crown Copyright)