TAUPO TOWN PLANNING

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 89, 2 October 1953, Page 5

TAUPO TOWN PLANNING

Sir,— It has come to my notice that a petition is being circulated in the township praying that town planning should not apply to Taupo. The grounds upon which this request is made are various, and open to much argument, but the following statement is set out, and must be challenged: — "That no plan of the proposed plan is available, but Land Agents and others have got "Inside" information and almost every section on the proposed route of the4 new. roads has been bought and sold at big profits." This statement is one hundred per cent contrary to fact, and shows a remarkable degree of prejudice on the part of the author, or authors, of the Petition. From my knowledge of recent transactions in the newly zoned areas of Taupo, I can state emphatically that no Land Agent, or person acting on behalf of a Land Agent, has bought and resold any land in the vicinity of the proposed route of the new roads. In fact, to the best of my judgment, the proposal to plan for a new shopping street has only recently been finalised, and would probably still be subjeet to the approval of the Town Planning Board. Land Agents are invariably the object of criticism, but I would say that a high standard of ethics exists among the land agents operating in Taupo, and I would further state that active agents can, and do, help materially in the development of a town or district. I am.

etc.

T. M.

KENT.

Taupo, Sept. 26th, 1953. Sir, — Re my letter of the 18th September on the above matter, I contradict Mr Story on the way he has tried to side step the answer as I know that neither he nor the Town Board cannot answer them. The Board has issued a book of the by-laws which sets out the fees to be paid, and charges 100 per cent more. Why? I went to the Town Board Office today and saw the new plan, it has only been here for a week, not for eighteen months as Mr Story says. A meeting will be called at an early date to bring this absurd Town planning scheme before the public from which it is well hidden at the present time. It is to be hoped that at this meeting the Board will disclose the rateablp value of the area plus the number of ratepayers and other such information that has been refused to me when I requested it. Yours etc.

J.

McLEOD.

Taupo, Sept 21st, 1953. (Note — The above letter has been condensed, references to financial and loan matters similar to those already made in Mr McLeod's previous letter of September 18th, being omitted. A letter signed "Very Doubtful" has been received which states, as does Mr McLeod's letter, that the town plan had not been available for eighteen months. Comment on this and other points raised by Mr McLeod is made by the Town Board Chairman below. — Editor.)