ROAD ACCESS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 45, 19 February 1946, Page 5

ROAD ACCESS

TAURANGA STATE HIGHWAY

COMBINED WHAKATANE EFFORT

A letter fiom the Harobur Board which found the warmest endorsement by the Borough Council was read at last week's meeting. The broad suggestion was that with the forthcoming visit to the disti-ict of the Minister of Works (Hon. R. Semple) towards the end of the month a combined effort should be made to approach the Minister with a suggested coastal approach to the town by way of the Tauranga-Wha-katanc State Highway. It was pointed out that unless complete unanimity were reached between Harbour 13oard ) County and Borough Councils little or nothing could be achieved. The letter which traversed at some

length, the proposed access route to be followed stated that with the Rotbrua-Opoliki route now finally fixed it would be suiting all parties to press for the extension of the Tauranga State Highway to enter the Borough via the Te Rahu Drain which would ensure it being above flood level and across the Whakatane river over that portion known as the balloon bend.' Following the waterfront the course could then circle the Pa and climb to Hillcrest in a wide arc behind the property of Mr Albert Stewart. It was. also suggested that the Pulp and Papfcp Mill Union of Workers might be enlisted to support the proposal in view of the ready access which would be provided by the new highway to the mill. Cr W. Sullivan spoke strongly in favour of the scheme which he described as most reasonable and likely

to succeed. The Opotiki residents; he pointed out had been against the Rotorua-Gisborne highway being taken round the coast. They wanted their contact with the railhead and were perfectly entitled to it ? but onw that this, course had been fixed there could lie little or no objection to the Tauranga highway coming through the Borough following over to Ohope as a main highway only and traversing the Wainui route until the junction with the other State Highway at Kutarere. The greatest point as emphasised in the Board's letter'was to achieve complete agreement upon the route to be followed and then to represent it to the Minister as the unanimous desire of the people, of both County and Borough. He was sure; somctning would come of it.

Cr Canning agreed warmly and added that the big thing at the pre-! sent moment was to bring representatives of all three bodies together in order to lay the proposal before them, with a view to making the approach to the Minister.

AH Councillors present expressed their views as being highly in fav-» our of the proposition.

On the motion of the Mayor ? it was decided to invite the County Council Works Committee and delegates from the Harbour Board to meet the Borough Works Committee for the purpose of discussing the course of the Tauranga-AVhakatane State Highway and to make mutual representations to the Minister of Works on his next visit to the town; in the meanwhile to insruct the Borough! Foreman-Engineer to prepare plans of the proposed bridge access for submittance to the meeting.