Tidal Lake for Hobson Bay

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 137, 31 August 1927, Page 12

Tidal Lake for Hobson Bay

HARBOUR BOARD APPROVES SCHEME ONLY TEMPORARY v PPROVAL of the proposed conservation of a portion of Hobson Bay as a threequarter tide lake was expressed by the Auckland Harbour Beard at its meeting yesterday. . . The scheme approved by the board provides for the construction of threequarter tide weirs so as to form a lake of about 240 acres. The question came before the board i in the form of a report of the board-in-committee in which the following recommendations were made:— — That subject to enabling legislation, the work of converting the bay into an inland lake on the lines of the second of the two schemes proposed should be approved, on condition that the Public Works Department would undertake to increase the bridge opening near Point Resolution to a sufficient width to provide that the current at all states of the tide should not be greater than under the existing arrangements. BOARD SHEDS RESPONSIBILITY That the Public Works Department, or the Auckland City Council should give a satisfactory undertaking to carry out and complete the work within the amount of money at present on deposit in the names of the chairmen of the Drainage Board and the Harbour Board; that the City Council or some properly-constituted and responsible authority should accept full responsibility for the care, control and upkeep of the area and indemnify the Harbour Board against claims for all accidents, damage, loss or curtailment of riparian rights or other claims. The report went on to state that the board's agreement to the work being undertaken is with the plain understanding that it will be only of a temporary nature, as the land will be required by the board at a future date. The recommendations, which were adopted, will be referred to the board s solicitors for approval. MR. BLOODWORTH’S OBJECTION Disagreement with the clause stipulating that the Auckland City Council, or some other authority, should accept responsibility for the upkeep of the area was voiced by Mr. T. Bloodworth. “I can understand the recommendation if Hobson Bay were to be tilled in for use as a park,” said Mr. Bloodworth, ‘‘but why does the Harbour Board want to shed its responsibility for the upkeep of a salt-water lake, especially as the lake is to be allowed only temporarily?” ‘•The City Council was very pleased to take over the Orakei Basin,” observed Mr. G. R. Hutchinson. “Oh. but for a hundred years, though,” replied Mr. Bloodworth. “Do you suggest any amendment?” asked the deputy-chairman, Mr. M. H. Wynyard. “No—l am only expressing my disagreement with one clause.” The report was then adopted, Mr. Bloodworth’s objection being recorded.