ABATTOIR PROPOSAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 288, 28 March 1941, Page 5

ABATTOIR PROPOSAL

OPOTIKI DECISION DISTRICT TO BE DECLARED A decision that it was prepared to declare the Opotiki Borough an abattoir district and . delegate its . powers to an approved company, provided such company erect a suit- - able abattoir, was reached at Tuesday's meeting of the Opotiki Bor- • ough Council. The motion was carried unanimously. A reply was received from the . Minister of Agriculture setting out certain relevant provisions and stating that if the council delegated its powers to a company and such delegation be terminated, the local authority was under no obligation •to maintain the abattoir.

COMMENT BY MANAGER

WHAKATANE NEGOTIATIONS DEFEND When interviewed and informed f of the borough council's decision, ' the manager of the Opotiki Bacon Company, Ltd., Mr T.-J. Palmer, said that the decision was a step in the right direction. He said that the scheme would mean a good deal '■of capital expenditure by the company if undertaken, and a decision as to what should be done would . rest with the directors. This decision might also be influenced by what the Whakatane council decicl--ed to do. Replying to criticism levelled .against the company for carrying on negotiations with both the Whakatane and Opotiki. councils at the same time, Mr Palmer said that the Opotiki council had been nearly 12 months considering the scheme. The -company was allowed to carry on while negotiations were in progress, hut if the scheme "were turned down by Opotiki the company would have to close down immediately or move to an abattoir district. The negotiations with Whakatane were only for the company's own protection and the company could not run the risk •of letting any opportunity go by.