County’s New Attitude

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 42, 30 April 1948, Page 5

County’s New Attitude

Though it had previously favoured a catchment area incorporating only the Whakatane County and Borough, the Whakatane County Council, at Tuesday’s fneeting, decided to back up the Borough in its representations to the Local Government Commission favouring the inclusion of the Opotiki Borough and County.

In asking the Council to re-con-sider its previous decision, the chairman, Mr J. L. Burnett, pointed out that, at the time that decision had been made, the Council had not been conversant with the Borough view. Since the last meeting, the Borough Council had made representations that the original proposal for an area including Whakatane and Opotiki Counties and Boroughs had a better chance of acceptance than the County Council’s proposal that the area comprise the Whakatane County and Borough only. On further consideration and after consultation with the Rangitaiki Drainage Committee, the Council’s special committee which had considered the matter had come to agree with the Borough’s proposal. It had the great advantage of community of interest and less danger of “remote control.” •

Therefore, evidence for the Commission had been prepared along those lines, showing that, from all points of view, are area proposed was the most suitable for this district. The Rangitaiki Drainage Committee also held that view. Cr R. F. Wardlaw said Federated Farmers would ask that two ridings of the Tauranga County be included in the area. * . After the necessary resolution affirming the Council’s new position in the matter had been passed, the chairman, and Crs L. W. Luxton and D. C. Butler were appointed to attend the sitting of the Commission.

Today the Local Government Commission is hearing evidence concerning a proposed boundary adjustment between the Whakatane and Opotiki Counties.