DOMAINS BOARD

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24904, 18 June 1946, Page 6

DOMAINS BOARD

AMALGAMATION WITH CITY COUNCIL

STATE REPRESENTATION NOT DESIRED

Control of the Botanic Gardens and domains in Christchurch should not be a purely local responsibility, said Mr A. H. Shrubshall at a meeting of the Christchurch Domains Board yesterday, when he moved that the board’s decision to prepare legislation necessary for the amalgamation of the board with the Christchurch City Council should be rescinded.

Mr Shrubshall’s motion also proposed that the control of the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park should be taken over by the council, and that two representatives of the Government should be appointed to the controlling committee on the recommendation of the Horticultural Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

“Horticulture has an aesthetic value, and it should be considered as a greater value to education than it is at present,” said Mr Shrubshall. The Botanic Gardens in the city had been developed and should be given a “Dominion status,” he said. If Government representatives were appointed they would be of great assistance. The chairman (Mr M. E. Lyons) asked whether the Government would be willing to nominate representatives, and whether the City Council would accept the amalgamation on the terms suggested. After Mr Shrubshall had replied that he did not think it necessary to approach either the Government or the council, as the legislation had not yet been framed and submitted to Parliament, the motion was put to the meeting and lost by eight votes to seven.