CONFERENCE AWAITED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 49, 16 February 1945, Page 5

CONFERENCE AWAITED

COURSE OF MAIN HIGHWAY •COUNCIL DESIRES UNANIMITY

Following the receipt of a letter from the Minister of Works (Ho?% R. Semple) that no official decision regarding the route of the Whakatane-Gisborne state highway had yet been made the Borough Council last Monday —evening decided to await the forthcoming conference between Borough bodies which was being convened by the Harbour Board. The Council endorsed its prior decision to endeavour to bring about a unanimous opinion as to the course of the highway within the Borough. Discussing the letter, the Mayor said that it was a conspicuous point in the Minister's letter that the Council would be consulted before the final choice of the direction would be made. He had consulted recently •with the County Chairman _ on the same subject and had been informed that he Mr J. L. Burnett "would not be prepared to take part -in any discussion regarding the oad ■ Avhatsoever. , Cr Warren said he the . present opportunity a splendid for the Borough interests to bring forward their case. He enquired of the Maj r or what route he considered to be in the interests of the Borough. Mr Barry replied that, his idea hail always centred round the Maraetotara route which he understood had been previously selected by the P.W.D. Cr Canning: There is a later suggestion that the new road should come across the mudflats pass down the rear of the. Strand and circle up by a gradual gradient at the rear of the Maori pah to link up with the Hillerest Road. This would be a cheaper and a much better route than the Maraetotara. Let us not hold aloof from this scheme. Let - us bring this road right through our v town and" don't let us be by-passed -as we have been in the past.Cr Armstrong said he liked ' the proposal to take the route up HilicreS't. The Council should give it * full consideration before dismissing it lightly. Cr Warren referred to the petition -signed by six hundred signatories for a waterfront road and asked if Borough Council officially knew anything about it. He advised that

• a strong effort lie made to reach agreement within the Borough and thus present a solid ease to the Government. Cr Creeke cautioned against any undue criticism of the route select*ed by the P.W.D. engineers. It was for the qualified man. to select -the most economic route and following that it was for the residents of the Borough to be unanimous in *-supporting them. The Mayor: If the new route is ~at- all a practicable one let us by all means support it. Cr Shapley: The only way to get it is to support a sound proposition. What we want is a good road into Whakatane. but we must be guided Jby the engineers. Cr Warren: I think this is an opof a life-time to settle this thing once and for all. If we could oniy get all interested parties -together we could bridge the gap varied opinion and get. somewhere. In. Whakatane we want a number of things. We want a new bridge; we want an and 'certain people thing we should get the railway station in the town. any rate we should be thoroughly -agreed upon just how and where we r want our short-cut to Gpotißi to go. Cr Canning intimated that the Harbour Board intended calling just . such a meeting as mentioned by Cr - Warren. The Council thereupon decided to await the invitation to such conference and to bring for--5 ward its proposals for full discus- . sion.