STATUS OF MATATA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 12, 31 March 1947, Page 4

STATUS OF MATATA

TAURANGA HARBOUR RATE TRANSFER TO WHAKATANE MOOTED The following report appeared in the Tauranga paper last week:— Advice that the Whakatane County Council was now giving consideration to the question of asking that the Matata riding be deleted from the Tauranga harbour district, has been conveyed by the council to the Under-Secretary of the Marine Department. A copy of the letter to the Under-Secretary was received by the Tauranga Harbour Board from the council at its monthly meeting on Monday. The letter to the Under-Secretary declared that the council would be pleased to be advised what the procedure, in this regard, was. It was stated that, resulting from the consideration of a report compiled by the chairman of the Tauranga Harbour Board (Mr J. D. Alach), the council had been giving consideration to the fact that the Matata riding in the county of Whakatane was included in the Tauranga harbour district and had little or no community of interest there. The port of Tauranga was approximately forty miles from Matata, whereas goods for Matata and district were landed at Whakatane where the port was only some 16 to 20 miles distant. Furthermore, information had been obtained from the Tauranga Harbour Boat'd, and the annual travelling expenses paid to the Matata representative on the board were more than the total harbour rates collected from the whole of the Matata riding. “It must be stated that, at this juncture, the council has not definitely decided whether an application to have Matata riding excluded from the Tauranga harbour district will be made—there are many factors to be considered—but it will appreciate your advising it what the procedure will be,” added the council. The chairman of the board said the board had already given a decision two months previously as to where it stood.

The Matata riding representative (Mr R. Wilson) said the procedure would be for a bill to be put through Parliament and he could not see that being done. The Matata ratepayers were quite happy to stay where they were. . “We’ve got a harbour and they’ve got nothing,” declared Mr C. C. McNaughton when referring to a passage in the letter concerning the distances from Matata to Whakatane and Tauranga to Matata. There were advantages to remain with the Tauranga board, it was felt. At the meeting of the Whakatane County Council intimation from the Marine Department was also received to the effect that the procedure necessary to enable the Matata Riding to be excluded from the Tauranga Harbour District, would be for the Tauranga Harbour Board to promote a local Bill altering the representation to exclude the Matata Riding from the Tauranga Harbour District. A consequential amendment to- the first schedule to the Harbours Act 1923, which showed inter alia, the present representation of the Tauranga Harbour Board would also be necessary, as well as incorporating the Matata Riding in the Whakatane Harbour District.

The Council resolved that a copy of the correspondence be forwarded to the Whakatane Harbour Board for comment.