PROPOSED RAMP AT TWO-MILE BAY

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 50, 24 December 1952, Page 2

PROPOSED RAMP AT TWO-MILE BAY

SPEED-BOATS, NOISE, AND LAKE AMENITIES Following on the action taken by certain property owners at Two-Miie Bay in petitioning the Government against the proposed boat-launching ramp at Two-Mile Bay, and lengthy correspondence in the "Taupo Times," a public meeting was held at the Rainbow Dining Room on Monday, December 15, at the instance of the Taupo Aquatic Sports Club, to diseuss the questions raised. In the advertisement convening the meeting an invitation was! extended to all persons interested, for and against, to attend. When the proceedings commenced the Club was strongly represented, but only two representatives of the opposition were in evidence, and none from the Government Departments interested — Internal Affairs and Marine. In the circumstances a vote in favour of the ramp was a foregone conclusion, and was duly recorded. It was, however, more or less a formality, the main and most important aspect of the meeting was that the proceedings took the form of a decision and exchange of news rather than a debate on motions. This was greatly helped by the latitude given by the chairman of the Town Board, Mr J. E. Story,j who presided, to the various speakers. The latter included, amongst others, Messrs J. T. Hogan, E. P. Taylor (secretary of the Taupo Aquatic Sports Club), J. A. Buckleigh, Allan Wilson, Alan Mackenzie, J. Booth and C. Thomas, on behalf of the proposed ramp; and Messrs R. D. Tremaine and J. Cartier, representing the case for case for the petitioners against it. It is impossible in the space available to more thanj present a summary of the views expressed. Mr Cartier had three points to make — the noise of the speed-boats, which should be compelled to take a eourse a fixed distance from the beach; the possible danger to children bathing in the bay; and the bad effect on the fishing. On a personal note, he objected to his access being blocked by motor traffic. Mr Tremaine's main point was the nyise of the speed-boats, which, he claimed, was likely to become multiplied by more of these craft if facilities were provided for them by the construction of a launching ramp at Two Mile Bay. He was not opposed to the provision of a ramp for boatowners in general, recognising that they had a legitimate claim to a share of the amenities of the Lake. It was the noise of the speed-boats and other property-owners in the vicinity objected to. He put it to the Club that efforts should be made to find a site that would meet the requirements of the Club without creating a nuisance to residents on the Lake front, In reply to the above, Mr Hogan traversed the points raised. Admittedly, he said, the noise of the speedboats could be reasonably objected to. He— -and Mr Bodth — explained that this was a matter that had been discussed at the last conference of the New Zealand Speed-Boat Association, when a remit was submitted proposing the compulsory fitting of silencers. The motion was lost, but its introduction was significant of a feeling developing that something had to be done about the noise. They could assure Mr Tremaine that a beginning had been made to deal with the prob- | lem and further action might be ex1 pected at ensuing conferences. : Mr Hogan went on to say, in reply j Mr Tremaine's suggestion that another site should be selected, that the ! Club had carefully explored all the j possibilities in that connection with results that had convinced them that Two Mile Bay was the only practicable solution of the problem. A launching ramp was urgently needed. j Boat-owners with cars and trailers

had the utmost difficulty in launching their craft in the present loose shingle of the beach. As for danger to children from speed-boats, he ex~ plained that the history of speed-boat racing had a clean record from accidents. It was essential that the pilots should have their eyes glued to the course. Collision with any object such as k piece of wood, or a floating bottle, with a boat travelling at high speed would mean a ripped bottom, and disaster. Mr Booth pointed out that the site was important from the revenue point of view. Speed-boat racing was expensive — a point endorsed by Mr Allan Wilson — and the Club had to have a "gate" for its regattas, which, after all, were held only at rare in~ tervals throughout the year. Obviously a site remote would be an unpayable proposition from that point of view. Mr Taylor took up the point about the effect of speed-boat racing on the fish. He quoted from sports journals to the effect that no harmful effects had been noted, although care had to be taken, at spawning seasons, to see that the Lake bottom was not deeply disturbed. He said he had frequently noticed fish moving about near launch propellors. He had seen, also, that grubs brought to the surface of the Lake bottom by the action of the propellors were relished by the fish, which were attracted to the spot of the vibration. Mr Alan Mackenzie pleaded for a tolerant attitude on the question, emphasising that it was for the benefit of the community as a whole that the amenities of the Lake should be made convenient for the people of Taupo, and visitors. Mr C. Thomas said that he had resided previously in a Northern district where the river ran through the town. Speed-boat racing had been held there and nobody had eomplained. A pleasing feature of the proceedings was that at no time did the feeling of the meeting become acrimonious. The obvious desire was to reach some kind of compromise that would enable the construction of the ramp to be proceeded with, in the interests of boat-owners generally — quite apart from the speed-boats. One speaker remarked on the fact that although the view of the petitioners had been given publicly in a departmental journal— " Wild Life," the department itself had not seen fit to be .represented at the meeting, as an observer at least, if not an active participant. The meeting ended after 11 p.m, with Mr Tremaine sticking to his objection about the noise.