ROAD BOARD CONTROL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 697, 24 June 1929, Page 14

ROAD BOARD CONTROL

NO BOROUGH FOR ROSKILL “AREAS BETTER SEPARATED” Mount Roskill administration is to remain in the hands of the district road board. The commission which inquired into the petition for changing the constitution to a borough has decided that the two principal areas— Greenwood’s Corner and South Roskill —cannot be suitably combined for municipal control. The former area certainly can be given borough control, but the latter area is considered to be still in a condition for which road board control is most suitable. The commissioners, Messrs. E. C. Cutten, S.M., chairman, O. N. Campbell and C. W. Chilcott, who heard evidence on the petition a month ago, delivered their decision on Saturday. The petitioners were represented at the hearing by Mr. V. R. Meredtih, and Messrs. G. R. Finlay and F. W. L. Milne appeared for the objectors. SPIRIT OF HOPELESSNESS The judgment says that 2,649 ratepayers of Greenwood's Corner occupy 1,000 acres of 4,800 acres in the Mount Roskill Road District. The greater part of the remainder has, in a spirit of hopelessness, been sub-divided as sites for sections —should the opportunity to sell them arise. There are only 800 ratepayers in this area. There is no community of interest between Greenwood’s Corner and the rest of the district, nor is there likely to be in the future with closer settlement. It has also been shown that all the representatives on the present board were elected as candidates selected to represent Greenwood's Corner area. Hostility is engendered by the fact that the Greenwood’s Corner area can outvote the rest of the district, more particularly by the introduction of voting on unimproved values. The rest of the district is poorly roaded, and comparatively poorly supplied with conveniences. The commission stated that the feeling of the Roskill South ratepayers is that they bear an undue burden and receive practically no advantages.

Reference is also made to the fact that the road board clerk is the only witness who gives unqualified support to the petition. A heavy and impressive body of evidence was offered by the objectors. The argument had been advanced that municipal control would intensify the present position by abolishing plural voting, which rectified the situation in a slight measure. NOT LARGE ENOUGH

Tho commissioners also express the opinion that the two areas are better separated. Greenwood’s Corner is not large enough for a separate borough and can only attain this administration by amalgamation with an adjoining borough. Roskill South area has not yet advanced beyond the road board stage, and cannot advantageously join any other part of the district in the formation of a borough, due to the smallness of the Greenwood’s Corner area.

If the whole district joins the City of Auckland there will not be the same objection to Roskill South being advanced to municipal control when it is in fact not quite ripe for it. Costs of the commission were recommended against the road board.