SITE FOR AERODROME

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 40, 13 June 1947, Page 5

SITE FOR AERODROME

CLEARING UP DOUBT DETAILED PLANS ASKED FOR The Whakatane Borough Council decided at its meeting on Monday night to seek definite information from the Public Works Department as to the exact site selected by departmental engineers as “the only possible site” for an aerodrome for Whakatane district. When the aerodrome site was mentioned at the council meeting councillors said that they had been agreeably surprised when the Minister of Works, Mr Semple, had told a deputation last week that engineers had selected a site and that it was the only possible site. However after the meeting with the Minister doubts had arisen as to whether the site selected by the engineers was the sandhills site which had been selected by the aerodrome committee.

Cr W. Sullivan proposed that the committee should write to the Minister and ask for full plans as to the locality. The council should be sure that the site was the right one, also that the Crown would not lease any more land in that locality. The Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry, agreed that it would be wise to get a plan, from the department. Cr H. G. Warren, who had been spokesman for the aerodrome committee, said that after the meeting the president of the Aero Club had remarked to him that it was possible that the Minister was not aware which site was being advocated. It would be a good thing to have something in writing from the department in addition to the Minister’s verbal assurance, just in case the advocates of the sandhills site* had to “fight for it.” Cr J. Creeke thought the Minister’s engineers might have recommended Shaw’s farm and not the sandhills site. One engineer had considered it a suitable site on a former occasion. Cr R. T. Morpeth said now was the time to clear up any doubt as to the site the Minister had in tiiew. A motion to write to the Minister asking for a plan of the locality recommended for an aerodrome site was approved, • ,« ,