OHOPE RATEPAYERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 2, 27 August 1943, Page 5

OHOPE RATEPAYERS

NEW STATUS WANTED PETITION FOR NEW IUDING A deputation from the Ohope Ratepayers' Association,, headed by Mr T. P. Dowling (president) waited on the* meeting of the Finance Committee of the Whakatane County Council, recently requesting the formation of Ohope into a separate riding in the County and a dissolution of the present arrangement whereby it was linked with Taneatua - a settlement with which it was claimed there was no com- ' munity of interest whatsoever. 1 Hie petition from the deputation | was laid belore the full council last Tuesday, was signed by 79 persons and reads:-— (1) That the petitioners desire that an additional riding be formed in the Wha'katanc County to be , known as the Ohope Riding with ; the suggestion that it comprise the whole of Ohope together with the properties belonging to the Native Department and to Mr Melville. (2) That while they appreciate the great amount of work done and the services rendered in the past by the Councillor for the. Taneatua Riding in which Ohope is at present situated Jhey submit that there is not any community of interest between the residential area of Ohope and the farming community of the remainder of the Taneatua Riding. (3) That they desire direct representation of tlicir interests on the council by one of their own ratepayers and recognise, that, a resident of Ohope cannot any more adequately represent the interests of the remainder of the present Tane- . atua Riding than can a member of the farming community of Taneatua represent the interests of Ohope. (4) That the present Taneatua Riding is 100 large and too cumbersome;, that Taneatua Township is 12 miles from Ohope and that the interests of the various sections in the present Riding are too diverse. (5) That the recent outstanding progress and. developmenl*of Ohope, the large amount of. rates, being collected therefrom and the size of the population Avhich is greater than the population of any other riding in the County East of the Wha'katanc River warrant the formation of a separate riding. Mr Dowling stated that only one person objected to signing the petition, and petition was not circulated to absentee ratepayers or county councillors or staff. Seventy-nine persons signed, the petition, and if the council would give the names and addresses of absentee Ohope property owners, lie guaranteed that a petition signed by 90 per cent of the Ohope ratepayers, would result. Review of Ridings * The chairman observed that the. petition involved a number ol' important things. The council however, prior to the elect ion was required by statute to review the whole question of boundaries and he realised that there were several anomalies in the question of county representation. -He suggested therefore that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee to bring down a full report for the September meeting. INIr Burnett went on to say that it might mean the alteration of sev eral boundaries .131". Ohope Avas made ani independent, riding, laneatua would lie left very small',, and that aspect Avould have to be considered. Cr Wardlaw suggested leaving the matter till after the war. It, was, too big a thing to lie considered at this juncture. Cr Smith thought a review well worth while. Many changes had taken place since the ridings weie formed and these things should now be given consideration. The matter was ret erred to the committee along the lines of the chairman's suggestion.