NEW TOWN DISTRICT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 33, 14 December 1943, Page 2

NEW TOWN DISTRICT

STATUS OF OHOPE BEACH

COUNCIL AND BOARD

NEGOTIATE

"Ohope has given us a few headaches in the past," said Cr McCready at the last meeting: of the Whakatane County Council when discussing the question of the formation of a new Town Board area at the Beach. "I hope," he continued, ''that the new Board has a supply of asperins handy for by the time they've settled 1 1 to 58 and a few other problems! over there they will have done a great job of work." * The subjcct Avas the outcorac of correspondence with Mr T. P. Bowling, president of the Ohope Progress and Ratepayers' Association. The letter related broadly to a series of questions and answers details of which had been settled on the main by the Works Committee members and came up for confirmation at the open council. The negotiations which had been carried out together with the council's answers to each of the questions raised were as under:; — (Q) Boundaries: That' the boundaries include all that area which comprise properties from and including Canning's on the west to the County boundary on the east, embracing all lands between the sea and the Native' Department country. Any new subdivisions to be included in the Ohope Town area. (A): That the town board, aiea be as suggested subject to bush portion of domain (143 acres 1 rood 27 perches), which was acquired comparatively recently, being excluded meantime from the proposed town board area. (Q) Consolidated Loan: The County Council to release the. Town Board from contribution to the Consolidated Loan.

Consolidated Loan past contribution be funded and credited to Town Board, such credit to be used in paying County Council for services rendered.

(A) That having regard to the fact that the. £80,000' loan makes provision for the expenditure of £729 4s 5d on Oh ope Beach roads and footpaths and that such loan funds have not been expended on Ohope roads, your committee recommends that any town board formed be not required to make an. annual interest and. sinking fund contribution to the Whakatane County Council. Your committee does not recommend that past loan interest payments made by Ohope, be funded and credited to the town, board, such credit to be used by the town board in paying County Council for services rendered, e.g. hire of plant.

(Q) County Council to be requested to make a casih grant equal to all rates levied this year or £750 which ever is the higher.

(A) That as an apportionment of assets a. cash grant of £650 he made to the town board provided the town board undertakes to budget for ail annual cash surplus of £350. Herein your committee is of the opinion that if the town board is not financially successful that the County Council will be obliged to dissolve such board and again undertake the administration of. the area. Furthermore your committee's opinion is that a £650 grant would ref>resent a fair apportionment of the County assets which, having regard to all considerations, may be justly claimed as being the. property of the Ohope ratepayers.

(Q) County Council to hire all or any plant required at Public Works rates and also that the County Council to supply road metal that may be required from their quarries they control at a fair and just rate that may be agreed to.

(A) That Council obtains metal from Mr Carter's property under a royalty agreement with Mr Carter and your committee recommends the Council to negotiate! with Mr Carter for the purpose of. permitting the Ghope Town Board to similarly here acquire gravel. (Q) County Council to ask the Marine Deparament to transfer control of the, foreshore? to the Town Board. County Council to transfer free of cost its two sections in Ohope to the Town Board. County Council to permit its office to be used for a period of three years for the collection of rates, and thereafter subject to agreement. (A) That the County staff and Council office appointments be used by the town board; for its treasury department, Council to make an annual charge of £12 for stamfc> and. suchlike, the town board to pay the Council additional the actual

cost of all special stationery, printing and suchlike. Your committee further recommends that any arrangement made herein be subject to review after the first three-year term. (Q) Otarawairere Track not to be included in the Town Board area. (A) That although the Otarawairere. track will, under the proposals herein, remain in the Whakatane County, that the Council indicate now that it will not be prepared to expend any money on the. maintenance, construction or control of such track. (Q) Count}' Council to waive all power to collect and levj r rates on the Town Board area. (A) That item (10) be agreed to with the addition that the County Council also delegate to the town board the control and he responsibility for the maintenance and construction of all roads in the town, board area. (Q) County Council to accept full responsibility for adedquate maintenance construction and control of the Ohope acccss road to and including the bridge opposite Mr Luke's property and premises. That if this otter is accepted this would be the; only apportionment of assets and liabilities lxtween the Town Board and the County Council.,

(A) That item (11) be, agreed to subject to the road in question reverting to the town board as a town board road as soon as a state or rua ; in highway is constructed to Ohope Beach—that with the trans-

fer to the town board, of the; road mentioned in item (11) Mr Dowling's letter, the Council also transfer to the town board the Ohope Domain area excluded from the. town board area vide Clause (1) herein and also any adjoining Native Development iands Ngatiawa Scheme, so that the. road mentioned will lie completely in the; town board area.

The. Works Commit lee: added thai if the Council adapted its recommendations and such is satisfactory to the Ohope Ratepayers' Committee that the ratepayers will proceed immediately to address a petition to the Governor General praying for the creation of an f Ohope. independent town district.

Commenting on the. above the chairman, Mr J. L. Burnett, added, that it may be thought that the Uouneil was being over generous in itsi grant of £750, but it was in reality nothing more than to what the Ohope ratepayers were entitled. By taking the administration upon themselves they wou*d be relieving the County Council of an area which differed entirely from the rest of the | county and actually warranted individual attention if it was to pro* gress. The council endorsed tlie whole of the arrangements made with the Board the details of which will now form the baste of an agreement between the two bodies for the creation and setting up of the proposed Town Board district.