BUS SHELTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26641, 11 December 1947, Page 2

BUS SHELTERS

PURCHASE OPPOSED GREEN ISLAND BOROUGH COUNCIL At a meeting on Tuesday night the Green Island Borough Council discussed a letter from the town clerk of Dunedin, Mr R. A. Johnston, offering the council an opportunity to purchase bus shelters at Emerson street and Concord. The letter added that if the Borough Council was not prepared to buy the shelters they would be removed. Cr T. M. McAhan moved that the council purchase the shelters, saying that the transport company concerned might be prepared to bear some of the cost of their upkeep. The motion was opposed by Cr D. Ballantine. The City Council had been the operating authority, he said, and had erected the shelters for the convenience of its passengers. He saw no reason why the Borough Council should subsidise the company The town clerk, Mr R. J. K. Gillies, read correspondence from Otago Road Services, Ltd., in which the view was expressed that the company’s position was different from that of the council. The City Corporation erected shelters on its own ground for citizens using its transport. The letter was described as " weak ” by Cr F. Gray. He wanted passengers to have the shelters, but there were 16 or 18 stops in the borough, and it the council assumed responsibility, there would doubtless be agitation for the erection of more shelters. • “ If we purchased the shelters we would establish a nasty precedent,” said Cr I. A. Mitchell, who was supported by Cr L. Burgess. The Mayor, Mr J. Boomer, opposed the motion. The City Council had quoted a price of £7O, which, Mr Boomer considered, would be better spent on women’s rest rooms. Cr McAhan expressed surprise at the council’s attitude to " a good investment.” It would be the council, he said, which would ” get the squeal ” if the shelters were removed. The motion was defeated, Crs McAhan, Pottinger and Freeman requesting the recording of their votes for the proposal. The meeting was attended by the Mayor, Mr Boomer, and Crs McAhan, A. Pottinger, C. Freeman, L. Burgess, F. Gray, D. Stewart, I. A. Mitchell, F. Parata and D. Baliantine. Community Centre Proposals Messrs P. Thompson and H. Winter, representing the Civic War Memorial Committee, waited on the council with sketch plans for a community centre. Mr Thompson reported that a provisional committee had met and had felt it prudent to consult local organisations. As a result of negotiations, a sub-committee had recommended the incorporation in the centre of a public hall, with seating accommodation for between 500 and 1000 persons, Plunket rooms, a district nurses room, g women’s rest room, adults and children’s reading rooms, a swimming pool and gymnasium, together with the mounting of a memorial plaque. The sketch plan had been accepted by the Department of Internal Affairs. The Provisional Committee had suggested that the council might sponsor the scheme and maintain the centre. The question of raising necessary finance was discussed, and the Mayor said that an appeal would probably be made io the public. Mr McAhan emphasised the great expense from the council’s point of view, and suggested that an estimate of the cost should be made. Mr Thompson left the recommendation for the council’s consideration, and suggested a conference with interested organisations at a later date. The Finance Committee, with the inclusion of the town clerk, was appointed by the council as a sub-com-mittee to conduct negotiations concerning the community centre. Report on Town Planning In a previously notified motion, Cr Pottinger proposed the preparation of a report for submission to the council on the implications of the adoption of the principles of town planning as applied to the borough. Cr Pottinger placed particular emphasis on zoning in his reference to the importance of orderly town planning. It was suggested that a member of the Town Planning Board might be invited to Green Island to discuss the subject. The town clerk was instructed to write to the board and request information from other local bodies.