SHORN OF ITS TOP

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 540, 18 December 1928, Page 12

SHORN OF ITS TOP

j QUARRYING MOUNT SMART TO BE PLAYING AREA The question of quarrying for scoria on -Mount Smart came up at a meting of the Onehunga Borough Council last evening when a letter was received from the Commissioner of Crown Land* stating that as the result of a conference with the resident engineer of Railways it had been decided to adherto a former decision when it wasagreed not to quarry the hill below a height of 115 feet bove sea level. At present the Railway Department is taking large quantities of scoria from the hill for railway ballast in construct ing the permanent way for the deviation line through Panmure to Westfield. In addition to this the borough council has let a scoria cot tract to an Onehunga firm, the consequence being that the cone is rapidly disappearing. The area around the hill is vested in the Onehunga Borough Council as trustees and by an agreement arrived at some time ago between the truste s and the Crown "Lands Department it was stipulated that all quarrying is u, cease when the 115 feet level is reached. The area will then contain about :i acres of level ground which is to be top-dressed and reserved for all tinie as a recreation ground. The council confirmed this agreement.