HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4473, 29 September 1922, Page 3

HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY.

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETINGi. SECESSION OF TAHUNA. ' REDIVISION OF RIDINGS. A special meeting of the jHauraki Plains County Council was held in the office of the clerk (Mr E. Walton) at Ngatea yesterday, when the business was to consider the propose! secession of the Tahuna riding and k the proposed r.edivision of the cpupty * into nine ridings. There were present: Crs. J. C, Miller (chairman), W. G. Hayward, C, W. Harris, C. W. Parfitt, A. Chatfield, F. J. Mayn, T. McLodghlin, and E. R. Whitechurch. Mr Walton read cprrespondepce and outlined negotiations in connection with Tahuna’s suggested withdrawal from the County. Conditions laid . down by the Act were also read. If the two councils concerned passeu the samp resolution no further negotiations were needed. Where there was a difference of opinion it would be a matter for a Commission. Cr, Whitechurch: Then tnere is no need for a petition ? • Mr Walton: Not oh my reading, of the Statute. Cr. Whitechurch said the suggestion was to take in a portion of the Tahuna Loan area. Cr. Mayn said there was no sense or reason in taking away mpre rate- ( payers from the county than what was necessary. Tahuna alone seceded it should'be sufficient. A lot ' pf settlers in the proposed area wished to* stay with . the. Hauraki Plains County. If the Patetonga settlers wished to go out, let them take their fair share of.’the liabilities. He presented a petition which he said showed that some of! the fatepayers were slightly different to some residing n Turua and*stetherton. The petition read as follows : “We, the undersigned ratepayers resident within the Patetpnga Riding, learning that a request has been made to the Hauraki Plains County Council to have that area covered by the Tahuna Loan proposals apportioned to the Tahuna Riding upon its secession i. from 1 the Hauraki Plains County, hereby protest against such proceedings. We feel that the change would not be to our advantage and that our ■ interests will be better served by remaining within the Hauraki Plains County.” Cr. Whitechurch said that if the Patetonga settlers concerned wished' to come in the portion to secede, Tahuna would be willing to accept them, but they would not try to force themCr, Parfitt-was in favour of sticking to the Tahuna Riding area. Cr/yWiiftechurcH said he would nke , fo see the Council take the matter in hand and circulate, a petition in the • Tahuna riding. It was 1/ raise a loan of £2OOO to cover Ta--1 huna’s portion of the Maukpro deviation and bridge. He considered £2OOO would he ample. The engineer was instructed to report on the cost of legalisation fencing at the next meeting. The following motion, proposed by 'w Cr. Mayn and seconded by Cr. Mcwas carried: "Having received advice frojn the P’ako County Council that it proposed to alter boundaries, and having endorsed the arrangement to pay half the dost of deviation and bridge, thathis Council proposes that the boundaries of the Hauraki Plains County be altered so that the Tahuna Riding be excluded therefrom and included in the Piako County.” NINE ridings. The proposal to redivide the rema’ining'portion of the county into nine different ridings was acceptea with ope minor alteration to the scheme outlined by the clerk (Mr E. Walton) in his report presented a. the previous council, meeting. A map of the county with the suggested new ridings outlined was tabled. Cr. Harris said the suggested boundaries of the Waitakaruru; riding excluded the Government, reserve at Waitakaruru from that riding and included the eserve in the Pipiroa riding Also a number of men whose interests were in Waitakaruru were cut out of the Waitakaruru riding; which would have all the hill land and nearly all the reading white the Pipiroa riding woud h,ave all tihe ffiu. He recommended a slight adjustmen . ’ The chairman, with reference to the Interests of h few settlers who were placed in a riding opposite to their interests, said that occurred a over the county. Cr. Harris: Yes, but to a lesser deThe Chairman : Don’t you think the canal is a natural boundary? Cr‘Harris: Well, yes, in a way it is. He said it was a matter of a community of interest. \ Cr. Hayward said if if thp Counci were to open up that question all the ridings would be affected. Gr. McLoughlin said that when the canal was completed there would have-to be another alteration of the riding boundaries as' the canal was a natural boundary. Cr. Harris said he would not oppose ’ eluded the reserve in the Pipiroa ridwas something there which merited alteration. Mr Walton reminded the Council of - the fact that before the new boundaries came into operation the Hauraki Plains Amendment Act would be in force. I Cr, Chatfield moved th'fit the bpun- - daries defined by the cterk be adopte 1Cr. Hayward seconded. Cr. Harris said he would oppose the motion. . Cr? McLoughlin: Will you stand again ? Cr. Harris: I don’t know- He said he would like to see the Council ” unaniepus, but be could not vote against his convictions. Several pf the councillors expressed their opinions that the county, ac-t cording to the map before them, was admirably cut up. The motion was carried, Cr. Harns recording his vote against it. Cr. Whitechurch did not vote, as when the new boundaries were put into operation his riding would not be in the county. ~ It was later decided, on Cr. Harris ) mptiop, to include the Government re-

serve on the eastern side of the caua • in the Waitakaruru riding. .. Cr. Ha’rris then withdrew Jhis objection to the redivision of the county. THE NEW RIDINGS. The following gives a brief outline of the new riding boundaries : Waitakaruru.—The old county boundaries on the west, the Waitaka-ruru-Maukoro Canal no the east, anil as far as. the Waikumete Stream on the south. Pipiroa—The land between the Weitakaruru canal and Piako River and to a little to the south of the Hopai Road, including the property bordering on the Hopai Rpad. Kaihere includes a small portion f f hill land, Kaihere settlement, and runs through the middle bf the block between the Ngarua and M?.ngawhero roads to the Piako River, on the south. The eastern boundary is the river and the northern boundary is the Pipiroa riding boundary. Patetonga.—The tend between Kaihere riding and the Patetonga riding, and bounded by the Piako River on the East. Kopuarahi —From south of a point opposite the Hopai wharf, excludes the property bordering on the Piako Road but includes that on the Ngataipua Road, and comes up to within a short distance of the Turua township. / Ngatea.—The pfoperties bordering on the Turua Road from Hic-ks’ corner, and includes the property on the Orchard East Rpad as far as the bend The eastern boundary runs from the bend in Orchard East Road to Hicks’ corner. The western boundary is the Piako River, and the southern boundary is the old Nethenton boundary. Turua Riding extends almost as far south as the Netherton ferry. Kerepeehi Riding is bounded by the Piako River on the west, and extends south as far as opposite the Patetonga landing. It also includes a portion of the County bordering on the Waihou River, Netherton is the remainder of the county.