WHAREPOA FERRY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4674, 14 March 1924, Page 2

WHAREPOA FERRY.

QUESTION OF REOPENING. DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Plains County Council the engineer, Mr J. Higgins, reported on the Wharepoa ferry as follows : Following my in - structions your traffic inspector, Mr Clare, undertook to see if anything could be done with the YVharepoa ferry punt to enable a temporary service to be carried on. It has been found, however, that the ease is hopeless, as the water in the punt runs in and out with the rise and the fall of the tide and the timber is too fa.’ advanced in decay to hold nails. This bears out what I stated in a report last year, when I pointed out. the necessity of putting in a new punt. As it will be some time before the ferry is running I have had the engine taken down and put under cover, where it can be overhauled. Cr. Nicholson asked the engineer if he considered the ferry necessary, the engineer replying in the affirmative. Crs. Harris, Mayn, and McLoughlin contended that steps should be taken to get the ferry running, Cr. Mayn suggesting taking one of the metal punts for the service. Cr. Mayn moved that one of the metal punts be used as a ferry, Cr Nicholson seconding, contending that the settlers had a right to have the ferry open. Over 20' school children used the ferry.

Cr. Madgwick said that lie had made inquiries in the vicinity of the ferry, and found settlers very indifferent. He did . not like the idea, of taking a punt off the metal carting job. c*r. Parfitt said that an effort should be made to get a punt from elsewhere or to have one built. Cr. Harris moved as an amendment that a conference be held with the Thames Council and an endeavour be made to have the ferry reopened. The amendment was put and carried, Crs. McLaughlin, Mayn, and Nicholson voting against it.

It was decided that tenders be called for the supply of a punt suitable for the ferry. The chairman and Cr. Nicholson were deputed to confer with the Thames County.