OBJECTION TO COUNCIL RE PROPOSED HYDRO ELECTRIC SCHEME

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 193, 7 October 1955, Page 1

OBJECTION TO COUNCIL RE PROPOSED HYDRO ELECTRIC SCHEME

A letter addressed to the Borough Council, sponsorod by Ihe Taupo Ratepayers' Association and signed by a Eumber of ratepayers, formally objecting to the council's proposed application for sanction of a loan of £105,000 for extensious to its hydrotlectric power generating and trans^ mission system, was forwarded to the Town Clerk prior to the Council's peeting advertised for Wednesday last, October 5. The text of the letter was as foliows: "We, the undersigned, do formally object to the proposed application for sanction of a loan of £105,000, as adTertised in the Taupo Times, on the jollowing grounds : "1. We are not satisfied witli Mr kandeno's report and feel that this ihoulcl be further gone into with the Ratepayers' Association and the Council before any further action be taken. "2. That we wish further particujars of the proposed site of the projected scheme. , "3. That we feel in the interests of the ratepayers that there is insuffitient evidence that a second generator will not work to capacity on the present site as prornised that it would jO 80." In a statement to the Taupo Times irith regard to the matter, Mr J. W. Birnie, chairman of the Ratepayers' Association, said that they had writ&n to the Council in August, with repird to the Council's request to Mr Handeno for a report on the subject & increasing the electric power outjot, ancl that the letter had been before the Council meeting of August 17. In replying to the Association, the Council had stated that it was not repared to discuss the matter furUier until it had received Mr Manieno's report. The Association had laturally assumed from this reply flsat when the Council did receive the report it would arrange to discuss it rith the Association. Mr Birnie stated that the Council, iaving received Mr Mandeno's report. gd not advise the Association of its eceipt, and at a special meeting held c September 19 had decided that it rould, at a meeting to be held on Octber 5, consider a motion to apply for sanction of a loan for implementsg the proposed scheme. The first intimation that the Assoiiation had of the receipt by the Rouncil of Mr Mandeno's report, said fr Birnie, was the report of this fecial meeting appearing in the taupo Times of September 23. The Association, in view of its srlier letter to the Council, and the Douncil's reply thereto, considered lat the omission to arrange for. the Association to discuss the report with le Council was definitelv discourteto the Association. [pollowing publication in the press $ the Councirs decision at its special fceting, the Association's committee bd met and had decided that its only purse was to lodge formal objection the proposal, in terms of the Counu*s advertisement, in the hope that le Council would, before proceeding prther, supply further information to be Association. Mr Birnie concluded by saying that Be Association had no wish to look pr trouble, but it had had requests 6om ratepayers for further informam ancl this had led to its earlier Itter to the Council. |He felt that the Association eould

fill a useful function, provided that ihe council would supply it with reasonable information on public matters, which would enable it to co-oper-ate with the Council by explaining to ratepayers matters abont which those ratepayers enquired from the Association's committee. In going on with the present matter, without: giving the Association any information on Mr Mandeno's report, the Council had, his committee considered, failerl in courtesy. The Association did not want to hold up any scheme for the advantage of Taupo, but they did want more information on the present proposal.