Waikanae Move To Join Hutt County

Chronicle (Levin), 9 April 1948, Page 2

Waikanae Move To Join Hutt County

"On February 14 of tlils year a meeting of the " associatiori was cailed oy your executive in order to •test the feeling of members towards a proposal that theBeach and Waikanae village secede from the Horowhenua County and , amalgamate with the Hutt County," says the annual report of the Waikanae Progressive and Ratepayers' Association. "Reasons for this step were' given at length by supporters of the proposal, ah'd it is not necessary toJrepeat them in this report. It is sufficient to say that, acting on the mandate given by the meeting, your executive is proceeding with jthe negotiations and as each step ,1s taken' members of the association will be k'ept fu}ly informed. ""If the Horowhenua County Council had raised no dbiection to the proposal of amalgamation," conlinues the report, "and a direct approach had thus been possible to ihe Local Government Commission, much time and labour would have been saved. If, on the other han'd, as now appears, the Horowhenua County Council opposes the secession, a petition wiiLhave to be prepared in proper legal form, circulated and.signed by. two' thirds of the ratepayers in the 'area concerned. Thereafter, a tribunal will • be set tip to hear evidence for and i against the petition; the tribunal will then give its decision. If that decision upholds the petition, the a,ssociation will then be free toi negotiate with the Hutt County ; Council to settle the terms on which the area in question will be constituted a riding of the Hutt County." •