NOT NECESSARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 63, 10 June 1942, Page 5

NOT NECESSARY

LOCAL BODIES ASSN.

BAY SUGGESTION TURNED

DOWN

The recent move to- form a local bodies association, covering- the Boroughs and Counties itn the Bay of Plenty, which was suggested at the recent conference of delegates in Whakatane, found little or no support from the Whakatane Borough Council 1 when the matter came up for consideration l'ast Monday.

The Mayor (Mr B. S. Barry) said he did not think the formation of such an association would achieve much good as there was no real community of interest between the bodies concerned—Whakatane ami Rotorua or Whakatane and Tauranga. If the council agreed to it, it would mean more meetings; more talk and to his mind it was a su,Pr erfluous move. It was certainly necessary to get together on occasions to discuss big subjects, but such a conference could be called by special notification. The suggestion was, of course, that unity has strength and that by all pulling together it would be possible to get more for the district as a whole. However there were many questions in. which several of the towns Avere diametrically opposed in policy, for instance the waterfront road. He agreed that regular meetings might make for good social gatherings but outside that he could see very lit-* tie advantage. Gr Creeke said the suggestion seemed a good one which would enable the Mayors of each centre to compare ideas. Cr Shapley agreed with the Mayor, stating that there was a great variety of opinion throughout the Baj'" which made it practically impossible to espouse an individual policjr of interest. Cr Sullivan expressed a similar opinion, statfng that unless a definite reason existed to call combined meetings the association would develop into a mutual administration society. The council agreed that there was no need to form such an association and that it would not therefore be identified Avith the movement.