PROPOSAL OPPOSED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 149, 1 September 1941, Page 5

PROPOSAL OPPOSED

BOROUGH'S DESIRE FOR RUBBISH DUMP AN AIRING OF OPINIONS

The words "Rubbish Dump" have appeared on the 80-rough Council's agenda with: alarming regularity for a long time past, and' from time to time schemes whereby a suitable facility could be obtained have been considered. As a result the Council recently decided that its only reasonable decision could be to obtain under the Public Works Act a portion of the Harbour Board's mud flats and' by dumping rubbish, thereby reclaim i!t for itself and, not as in the past, for the Board. However when this decision was intimated to the Harbour Board it did not rcceive a welcome and members decided unanimously that they would not willingly part with even one yard of their endowment. As an alternative they offered to allow the council to continue dumping on a selected site and would pay for the reclamation at 4d per cubic yard sc long as the Health Department's regulations were observed. Thus was the position when a meeting of Borough Council and Board members concluded on, Friday afternoon, although not before soma opinions had been clearly presented. The Borough is now to consider whether it will continue to reclaim land for the Board, or whether it will proceed under-the Act to acquire land for itself. Definite Opposition "'Every member of the Board is directly opposed to even one yard of our endowment asset going out of our hands," said Mr J. W. Sumner, chairman, when adding that the asset was one belonging to the county and the borough with eight county representatives on the board and only two borough nominees „ The ratepayers interests must be preserved. The board had always met the council he stated and added that a dump' further from the town was desirable. Mr Sumner quoted a case where at Whangarei the Borough had endeavoured to take land under the Act from a Harbour Board endowment, but the Minister had refused perriiission. Now the Borough was reclaiming Beard land, and further .was paying the Board 2/6 per week for the use of the .dump., He continued to sftggest other sites available and was very definite when hestated that if the council decided to take land under the Act then the Board would do all in its power to stop the move. "We are quite agreeable to meet the. Council and pay lor reclamation instead of receiving, but wecannot part with land.

Mayor's Remarks The Borough Council had made full investigations stated the Mayor (Mr B. S. Barry). Mflny locations had Keen inspected, but all had been unsuitable compared with tinone decided upon. If it had been possible to obtain a site suitable further from the toAvn, but at tl*<? same time which did not make costs prohibitive, then it . would hav6 been done. Should Create Own Asset The Borough had reclaimed a con sidcrable amount of property for the Board "claimed Mr Barry, and had come to the conclusion that it should create its own asset. The site selected was suitable, convenient, and the council would not interfere with the Board's frontages. "I might say Mr Chairman that in making the suggestion we have Ave had no intention of using the Public Works Act as a 'big stick.' We realised that your Board has no power to dispose of its land and the only way open is under the Act, either by agreement or by tie council taking the land. We muss have a rubbish dmrfp and feel thai if we reclaim the land then we should do so for ourselves or lie paid, for doing so." Equally Candid Mr Barry concluded by saying that he appreciated the chairman's straightforward expression of opinion and wished to be equally as candid. If an alternative suggestion could be arranged satisfactorily [ then he felt that the council would agree to it. However, it might be ■rccssary if that was not the "'o talce other means to get the land. ■ > hoped that the matter could be •-anged that the relations bofwerthe bodies wou>l be am'ra' l ':'.

t f'Vntiriuprl in n;ix<

Many Difficulties "We have had many difficulties regarding a rubbish dump," commenced Mr W. Sullivan of the Borough Council. "It's all very welt to bring out red herirngs such as Hillcresit and other sites, but tve know all about them." He continued that the. council had chosen the best location for a .lump, and ho reminded the Board that it had a large area of land in the Borough which it would never occupy in his lifetime. This waA evident by the progress made in the past twenty years and the tremendous tract of land the Boa*rt% has which needed reclaiming. "We have to cater for the public, and don't forget we cater fc»r a good deal of rubbish from Harbour Board tenants too. The most satisfactory place is part of t.hc Board's land and, unless we can: come to some satisfactory arrangement, then 1 think we should certainly go ahead and take it. No More Skirmishing "We don't want any more shillyshallying and skirmishing about conditions. You have said you are on the board to build up i,t{; eti;< dowments, but I would like you to take into account the rents you receive from; residents of the Borough which you are happy to receive, which goes to show that wo arc entitled to some consideration. "Also I would point out that wo have, or are supposed to. have, two Borough representatives on the-. Board, and surely we can expect, that they look after our interests in some way." Mr Sullivan continued to state* that in taking the land the council would be doing no harm, as the Board would not require the area \ f or many years and the council cor.ld use it to public advantage.. The Mayor concluded the discussion by expressing appreciation of the way the Board had met t!|s council and stated thaV he would anm chairman an early notification of the Council's decision.