THE AERODROME

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 50, 16 August 1939, Page 5

THE AERODROME

COUNCIL STILL ACTIVE APPLICATION TO GOVERNMENT :il ] * A decision to take further steps and press for the establishment of an aerodrome for Whakatane with the aid ol' an increased Government grant was taken at Monday night's meeting of the Whakatane Borough Council, though councillors did not seem over-optimistic that their efforts would meet with immediate success. The question, came up when a letter was read from Mr A. G. Hult_ M.P., who stated that he had seen Mr R. H. P. Ronayne, District Public Works Engineer, and as far as he could ascertain the Poroporo block was the most favoured site. That would cut out Gobbie's block, although Mr Ronayne intended to inspect it again. Mr Hultquist believed that the Poroporo site would be the one selected. He was confident that the question had not been lost sight of. and while action might be slow there could be no doubt that Whakatane would have an aerodrome in due< course. He would keep the matter before the authorities. The Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry, thought that Mr Hultquist' meant Shaw's Paroa block, and not the Poroporo site. No doubt an aerodrome would come in due course, | though action might be slow. Cr W. Sullivan was anxious to try and do something. In the past they had been reluctant to press the matter because they realised the difficulty in finding the borough's portion of the cost; the countv could I probably find its share much more readily. However, the Government had now allocated millions for defence, and this aerodrome would form an important link in the chain. He thought that they could look for a much larger grant from the state. He moved that they communicate with the departments concerned to establish an aerodrome and Cr G. Otlev seconded this. The Mayor said that the clerk had had matters in train to take a poll Of ratepayers «when they had been advised from the Public Works Department to do nothing. Mr D. V. Saunders said that \v-?.s the impression but what actually happened was that the choice of a site had been postponed pending a decision on the place for the new bridge.