EXPANSION PLAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 28 August 1942, Page 1

EXPANSION PLAN

PROVINCIAL CO-OPERATION MURCHISON SCHEME FAVOURED The Murchison County Council’s pro posal for a combined conference of re presentatives from the Marlborough, Nelson and West Coast provinces, for ihe purpose of discussing future co- , operation in the advancement of mutua’ interests, met with the support of the Borough Council last night After a full jdisfussion it was decided to support the proposal, and the mayor (Mr C. T. j Smith) and Councillor H. J. S. MilcheiJ were mentioned as possible delegate*, 'states the "Express.” “In my opinion the move is a splendid one—there should be co-operation be tween every local body from Buller and Kaikoura northwards,” remarked the mayor. However, in view of what M; Semple had told them at his Blenheim meeting in regard to the need for conserving tyres and petrol, he thougnl that they should reply expressing ap--1 preciation of Murchison s action, but I pointing out that any meeting requiring • the use of motor transport was not the ! right move at the present time. He moved in this directfon. i In seconding the motion Councillor L 1 E. Costello said that the top of the South Island had never got things done be (cause the districts concerned would • never pull together. The Power l Board, for instance, was exhausted for electricity as its plant was too small, j Councillor Mitchell: It was too small • from the start. Proceeding, Councili >r Costello said it was time to use commonsense and gel i together, and get past the district (jealousy—or whatever they liked to call (it There was Picton for instance, i Down there they could not have electric I stoves, although they were right along jside the Marlborough Power Board (That was not right, as Picton should ’ grow as well as Blenheim. Such things were embodied in the Murchison letter, and it was time they took notice of what had happened in the past, and try to make good things that they had shir ped on in days gone by. "MATTER OF GREAT MOMENT” Councillor Mitchell, speaking as the Progress League representative on the council, referred to the Power Boarus I decision to refer the matter to that body, remarking that unfortunately the league was in cold storage.” The suggestion, he said, was a matter of very great moment to Marlborough. Thia district, for instance, had lost an enoij mous amount of money because the ] chaff that had once passed from MarlI borough to the West Coast, had been supplied from Canterbury through the Otira since the tunnel was put through {Councillor Mitchell proceeded to refer to the suggestion already advanced and referred to by Mr Semple, for a light railway up the Wairau Valley. This he envisaged as a forerunner to a line U> the West Coast for coal, timber, fire wood and produce cartage. A railway reserve existed through the Wairau Valley as far as the Wye for this pur pose. Turning to electricity. Councillor Mil chell said the league had fought the Waihopai scheme for three years as it had been realised that it was only a ‘pup’’ scheme for a district like thit Nelson, Marlborough and Buller had been working together for a major scheme, but eventually Nelson had de cided to go in for a steam plant, owing to the prolonged Government negotiations that had taken place, and as I a result their voting power had been lost. Otherwise they would have had 1 a scheme from the Gowan or Lake | Rotoiti. It was time, he considereo I to get such a scheme, as it had to come {This district could not develop without ! electricity, and he was pleased that,the Murchison County had had the foresight to bring the whole question up. Councillor Mitchell had recalled that when the Erina and Hillersden district was cut up the sub-division was based on agricultural land, but these properties had gone back because of lack of lime. The position was that it cost too much to cart this by truck, and the result was that those concerned had j gone from agriculture to sheep-farming, which would not pay the rent. The v Government had been forced to reduce [the rent from time to time and a great | deal of revenue had been lost. If they {had a line to the West Coast these people would get lime free of railage. Thit was one of the big points they should push. An amendment supporting the proposal for a conference was moved by Councillor J. D. Lucas and was carried