HEADS AND PA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 80, 27 October 1939, Page 5

HEADS AND PA

absorption by BOROUGH OBJECTION BY RESIDENTS POWER BOARD STILL INTERESTED A statement that the Bay of Plenty Power Board might reopen the matter of supplying "The Heads area at Whakatans ■with power instead of leaving this area to the borough, as has been understood lately was its intention was made at Tuesday's meeting of the Whakatane Coun ty Council. It was stated by Cr ;H. C. McCready that residents • of. The Heads and the Whare-o- ---' Toroa Pa did not wish to come into the borough, and that they were rather disappointed at the apparent acquiescence of the •county to the transfer. How-? 'ever, it was stated that the county's attitude was one of neutrality.

The discussion arose when a petition was received from L. M. Adcock and six other Heads ratepayers, wiewing with concern the borough •application to include the Heads in its area. The petitioners stated that they had no desire for this, and subrmitted a protest.

Gr McCready, in whose riding The Heads lies, said the people objected strongly to being pushed into the borough. .They felt the county •should have made inquiries before v it approved the borough plan. The "Pa area was also 100 per cent • against the charge.

When the commission sat the pet; ' tioners would make representations i against the change.

The power board at one time in'tended to supply the area but the ?matter had been held up. Mr J. D. "Dicker had told him that they intended to reopen the whole thing • and that the power board had not -definitely abandoned the scheme of reticulating the area. The borough had told the Heads ratepayers that •so much had been set aside to reticulate the area and that if they •did not come in to the borough they -would not get electricity. However, the power board had not definitely given up the plan. The county council could do northing except remain neutral. The i ratepayers had been told of some of % the wonderful benefits, but they would get a lot of extra rates as well. The Heads people were definitely against going into the boruough added Cr McCready. 'The power board had not decided to reopen the question of supplying the Heads, though a letter was coming before the board at its -next meeting said Cr F. J. Burt. Cr McCready said Mr-Dicker had •'told him that he was going to reopen the matter. Cr Burt said that restrictions today might make it impossible to • carry out the reticulation. He added that he felt The Heads area should go into the borough but living where he did he would not like to push them in. Cr Burnett agreed the matter was one entirely for the people themselves. If the people at The Heads had paid their deposit to the power board they would have had the power by now, said Cr McCready. However they had heard rumours and hesitated. Mr Dicker had spoken to him about providing street lighting 501. which was very necessary lor The Heads -were very dark, and there often were parties down there with a ■ good deal of noise. Also the garages used the road to The Heads as a testing track.