STRONG OBJECTION TO HARBOUR BOARD QUARRY AT HEADS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 23, 10 August 1949, Page 5

STRONG OBJECTION TO HARBOUR BOARD QUARRY AT HEADS

Although a deputation of residents from the Heads area, Whakatane, objected strongly to the proposed scheme of the Whakatane Harbour Board to start quarrying at the Heads the Board has decided to continue with its plans because it considers that the work that is intended to be carried out will be an improvement. No blasting will be done and what is undertaken will be done with due regard to keeping the appearance ■of the area attractive.

This decision was reached after the Board had inspected the land following a meeting with the deputation at last Friday’s meeting. The deputation consisted of Mr C. S. Armstrong and Mesdames E. M.. Sheather, P. Creeke and C. S. Arm_ strong and Miss M. Armstrong, Will Loosen Rock Mrs Sheather objected strongly to the action of the Board in wanting to take the land for a quarry. She said that any workings there would loosen rock up on the hills and bring them down onto the sections already occupied. She wanted an undertaking in writing that there would be no blasting work. Mr W. R. Boon: We have assured the Borough Council that we will not be blasting so I think an undertaking to a local body should be good enough. Mrs Sheather:' You might not want to blast now but what about the future? Other future Boards might say ’ that they did not give the undertaking and could go ahead with blasting. Should Inspect Property

Had the Board seen the section they intended to take, Mrs Armstrong inquired. Mr Boon: No, I’m afraid I haven’t Mrs Armstrong: Then I think you should inspect the property before you do anything further. It was a terrible pity that one of the most attractive portions of Wha„ katane was to be defaced because the Board only wanted to get spoil, Mrs Creeke remarked. In any case, quarry work done there would loosen the earth up on the cliffs and spoil sections down at the base. “I think that if any spoil is taken away it won’t improve the Heads residential area,” Mr Armstrong conteded. Mrs Sheather said that defacing of Whakatane had been going on for years now and all that was left was a constant eyesore. Should spoil be taken away it would only loosen the whole hillside with erosion. After the deputation had retired Mr Boon pointed out that the Board had no wish to do anything to disfigure Whakatane. But if the Board could move spoil without doing that he thought they should go ahead with the proposal. Better Than, Maori House Mr H. Brabant said he understood the section, which the Board wanted, was Maori owned. He considered that something should be done now or else a Maori house might be erected. Judging by the Maori houses at the Heads at present be thought that the Board would be doing better to go ahead with Its quarry scheme than to let a Maori house go up.

Mr Boon agreed and said that some of the houses occupied by Maoris in that area were not all that was desired, for a Domain area like the Heads.