DEVONPORT’S FEARS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 760, 5 September 1929, Page 7

DEVONPORT’S FEARS

EXPLOSIVES AND BARRACKS CONSIDERED INVESTIGATION TO BE MADE (The SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Wed. Perturbation of the people of Devonport at the proximity of the naval magazine to the borough was the subject of comment in the House of Representatives tonight by two Auckland members. They also drew attention to the unduly large amount of land held in the borough by the Defence authorities. This land deprived the borough council of a considerable sum of money annually in rates. First of all Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) protested, saying that an investigation should be made as to placing the magazine in another part of the harbour, as the people were concerned about the storage of so much explosive in the neighbourhood. He also stressed the point of the Defence Department not contributing anything to Devonport Borough in compensation. Sir Joseph Ward said an investigation of the magazine question would be considered. Later Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) made reference to the same question, and said it was not the first time a protest had been made. The Prime Minister should investigate the position of the magazine at once. Mr. Parry said he knew considerable alarm existed among the residents of the borough concerning the magazine, and he knew Mr. Harris could not speak as he would like to, as he did not; want to increase the alarm of the people. He said he was pleased to hear the Prime Minister would make an investigation, as the time had arrived when the magazine should be shifted to another part of the Hauraki Gulf.

Regarding land belonging to the Naval Department and Defence Department, Mr. Parry said it was unfair to make Devonport carry this burden, lie had been given to understand with regard to the naval area that it was beyond the jurisdiction of the New Zealand Government to deal with the question, as it was in the control of the Imperial Defence Department. However, he thought the Government should pay some subsidy to the borough.

Mr. Harris rose to deal with the point of land again, and said that out of 661 acres in the Devonport Borough, the Defence Department held 71 acres, and proposed under the Estimates to take an extra three-quarters of an acre. None of the land was rateable, and if rated it would produce in revenue to the borough <£5,500. There were six houses on three-quar-ters of an acre of land to be acquired for barracks, and this meant a loss of £250 a year in rates. There should not be such a burden on the borough, and it was a reasonable request that some reimbursement should be made to Devonport.