AGY-2 | Department of Main Roads

Full description

The Ministry of Transport Act, Act No. 3., 1932 (1) abolished the Main Roads Board and provided for the transfer of it's powers to a new corporate body - The Transport Commissioners of New South Wales. The new Transport Commission controlled the Transport Department and all road matters dealt with under the Main Roads Act, were from 22 March 1932, a responsibility of the Way and Works Branch of the Transport Department.

On 19 November, 1932, the Transport (Division of Functions) Act (Act No.31, 1932), constituted a Ministry of Transport responsible to the Minister of Transport. The Act grouped together various transport agencies into three departments: Railways, Road Transport and Tramways, and Main Roads - each headed by a Commissioner (2).

The internal division of the Department geographically continued in the model established by the Main Roads Board - originally these were the Metropolitan Highway Division and six country highway divisions. (3)

During World War II the many of the resources of the Department of Main Roads were diverted to assist in the war effort both within New South Wales and elsewhere in Australia, and consequently much of the usual work was postponed. This war work involved the following:
construction of strategic and tactical roads and of roads in connection with military establishments;
construction in conjunction with local government or roads to and within Commonwealth properties and of roads, paths and tarmacs of Royal Australian Air Force stations;
strengthening bridges to carry military traffic and preparing works for demolition in the case of invasion;
constructing concrete work for gun placements and making excavations for fuel depots; and
building aerodromes, runways and dispersal areas throughout the State. (4)

The Department also prepared post-war reconstruction plans in the latter years of the war. These plans included: maintaining and repairing roads to restore them to their post-war condition;
constructing bridges to replace those that were no longer economical to repair;
constructing bridges to replace railway crossings, some ferry services and flood-affected crossings;
resuming the road construction program that was delayed by the War;
developing a new road-building program to link major towns and districts; and
re-surfacing the State Highways with bitumen (5)

Road and bridge building re-commenced in 1946 but in the early post-war years road building in particular was much hampered by shortages of materials. (6)

The New South Wales Transport and Highways Commission was established by the Transport and Highways Act, 1950 and exercised a supervisory role over the Department of Main Roads from 22 May 1950 until 25 August 1952. This Commission’s purpose was to plan for the provision of an ‘efficient, adequate, economical and properly integrated system of public transport’. (7)

The Commission had wide powers enabling it to:
ensure that the branches of the Ministry of Transport were efficiently conducted;
review policy for the development of transport throughout the State;
consider and make recommendations concerning any proposal from the agencies, which comprised the Ministry of Transport and co-ordinate, their annual budgets, and
‘control and direct’ the branches of the Ministry.

In order to perform these functions the Commission could inspect the offices and examine records and have access to all properties and other assets. (8)

From 15 March 1956 the Department ceased to form a part of the Department of Transport and became responsible to the Minister for Highways. (9)

By 1968 the Head Office of the Department of Main Roads was in the charge of the Engineer-in-Chief assisted by a Deputy and three assistant chief engineers. Reporting to them were 13 specialist engineers including the Bridge Engineer, Road Design Engineer, Urban Investigations Engineer, Rural Investigations Engineer, Highways Engineer, Field Inspecting Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Advance Planning Engineer, Engineer for Country Council Works, Traffic Service Engineer, Executive Engineer, Engineer for Standard Specifications and Technical Instructions, Materials and Research Engineer. The Head Office establishment also included the Principal Land Surveyor and Property Officer; Secretarial, accountancy and legal specialists. (10) It would seem that the strategic management and design occurred in the head office and that the 16 geographical divisions were operational units responsible for constructing and maintaining raods and bridges and maintaining services.

The New South Wales Government Directory described the main functions of the department in 1987 as follows: "The construction, maintenance and progressive improvement of main road system throughout NSW and the installation and maintenance of traffic control and traffic management devices for the commercial and social benefit of the community. (11)

On 16 January 1989, (12) under the terms of the Transport Administration Act (No. 109, 1988), the Department of Main Roads was abolished and amalgamated with the Department of Motor Transport and the Traffic Authority of New South Wales to form the Roads and Traffic Authority.

ENDNOTES:
(1) Assented to 22 March 1932, New South Wales Government Gazette, Vol. 1, 7 January 1932, p. 1047.
(2) Department of Main Roads Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1933, p.1 in NSW Parliamentary Papers vol 1 1933-4 p.617.
(3) Main Roads Board third annual report for the period ending 30 June 1928 p. 66 (organisation chart) and p. 67 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1928- 1929 Vol. 4 p. 528, 529
(4) Department of Main Roads Eighteenth Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1943 p. 5 in NSW Parliamentary Papers1943-44 Vol 1 p. 1003
(5) Department of Main Roads Twentieth Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1945 p. 11 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1945-46 Vol 1 p. 617
(6) Department of Main Roads Twenty-First Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1946 p. 6 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1946-47 volume 1 p. 304
(7) Transport and Highways Act, 1950 (Act N0 10, 1950) s. 8 (1) (a)
(8) Ibid s. 9
(9) Transport (Division of Functions) Amendment Act 1956 (Act No 38, 1956) s. 2
(10) Report of the Commissioner for Main Roads for the Year ended 30 June 1968 p. 2 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1968-69 Vol 4 p. 956
(11) NSW Govt Directory 1987 p. 311.
(12) New South Wales Government Gazette, No.3, 16/01/1989, Vol.1, Part 1, p.275

REFERENCES
(1) Public Service Lists, 1932 - 1960.