TWO CABINET MINISTERS VISIT TAUPO

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 200, 25 November 1955, Page 1

TWO CABINET MINISTERS VISIT TAUPO

Two Oabinet Ministers visited Taupo last week-end and met the Mayor and Council for brief but informative disoussions on matters of local interest. They were the Hon. W. S. Goosman and the Hon. E. H Halstead f Mr Goosman was passing through the district as chairman of the National Roads Board, the members of which, together with officers of the Hinistry of Works engineering staff, accompanied him. \ In a discussion of problems conHected with the re-alignment, re-for-mation and re-sealing of the Lake front highway, work on which was to have commenced this year but which was recently postponed, Mr Goosman stated that the trouble was aot money, but shortage of engineering staff. ; After discussion, and in answer to a suggestion from Mr Goosman that the Council might be able to arrange for an engineering survey of the Lake front road to be done locally, the jjfayor stated that they could get Mr Laurie Cheal to do such a survey and Ihe Minister asked that this be done. ' The Minister agreed to a suggestion by the Mayor that when the contract for the Lake front job was let the ferhing and channelling on bo.th»sides be included in the job, which would

pe preferable to the Council's share |f this work being undertaken separlitely by the Council. Mr Goosman, feefore leaving, mentioned that the feoads Board had now allocated |23,000 for the purpose of shifting pe present Ministry of Works Depot p Taupo, which is occupying part of m Sports Ground, to the new slte ptween Tauhara ("Golf Links") load and Waiariki ("Spa") Road. K Talk With Tourist Minister iThe Hon. E. H. Halstead, Minister 1 Sharge of Tourist and Health ReBts, was met by the Council at WaiJtkei, on Sunday. Accompanying the Bayor and councillors were Messrs |M, Simpson, J. W. Birnie and C. R. Batson, members of the Taupo Public lelations Association, and Mr F. G. jebay, manager, H.B. Motor Co., Ltd. iTaupo's need for adequate tourist ■blicity was discussed with the MinKter, who expressed his appreciation tf the problems faced by the district iwing to its present rapid developknt, and said he had not hitherto fcen able to make a visit. He went ■ko the mafcter of a publicity folder paling with the Taupo area, and said raat 25,000 or 30,000 copies should be jbduced, in colour, and that his Defirtment would undertake this, sub-

Sitting the draft for approval, and nat about £150 would be required Kbe raised locally toward the cost. KMr V. M. Simpson, secretary of the inupo Public Relations Association, fcld Mr Halstead that the association lould accept responsibility for this Kst. Iln discussing the proposal, the iayor emphasised that local opinion Ku the matter was definite that the Blder should be primarily one dealBg with Taupo, as distinct from WaiKjkei. Not necessarily Taupo town By, of course, but the Taupo district. ■Following the meeting at Wairakei, Hjr Halstead called at the Borough puncil Chamber, and there inspectk the Council's sketch plan of projbsed development of the Lake front Kea from the Landing Reserve to pharepa Reserve near the one mile EThe Mayor explained that this ftld.not be carried out, as far as Be area between Tongariro Street pd Taharepa Reserve was concerned, ptil the re-alignment of the Lake fiont highway was cornpleted, but

said that the project wTas one which it was felt could well be assisted by the Government. Mr Halstead expressed interest in the scheme, but said that the fact that ihe only land in the area under Government control was the Landing Reserve raised some difficulty. He would, however, go into the matter and consider what could be done to assist. The Mayor said #that they would like Mr Halstead to make another' visit as soon as possible and spend, say, half a day seeing something of Taupo. Mr Halstead said he would like to do this,' and would endeavour! to do so in January.