Sportsmen want a say on control

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 58, 23 July 1974, Page 13

Sportsmen want a say on control

A charge that local sportsmen have no say in the control of their sports in the Taupo basin was made at the weekend. Criticism of user representation on the various Government - appointed bodies administering the basin was levelled during the Federation of Lake Taupo Angling, Shooting and Boating Clubs' conference with Internal Affairs officers at Kinloch. Delegates discussed three remits on the matter. The first expressed "profound dissatisfaction with the selected user represent-♦-4 — — — — ' : - . —a

,11/1 I A atioril tfie Lake Taupo Reserves Board and with the exclusion of user representatives from the Lake Taupo Advisory Committee. The second remit urged negotiatiofts for representation on the advisory committee be re-opened — "in view of the manner and form of the Minister' s rejection." Remit three recorded "emphatic protest" against the exclusion of the federation from user representatiori on the reserves board. It further rejected as unacceptable the reasons given by the Minister of Lands : for the board's preserit constitution. Mr . ,\ A. I, McCowan, representing the Waitahanui Angling Improvement Association, said the federation Had been asked to put forward a nomination for the reserves board. The nomination had been rejected — but the federation had not even received the courtesy of a reply. Mr McCowan asked if two of the board members — Messrs Fox and Ryan — belonged to any club and if they reported back to any sporting organisations. — He described the matter as a "complete affront" and urged the federation to put up with it no longer. The Member for Taupo, Mr Jack Ridley, told the conferejTee he supported

the nomination of Mr Besley (a former county chairman) but he had been unaware of the other two nominees — and they "staggered" him. He said they had been Lands Department nominees. Mr Ridley said he had protested to the Minister and had been told the matter would be rectified when the Lake Taupo authority came into being. Mr Clinton Holt, also representing the Waitahanui club, said that if the federation's nomination had been considered unacceptable, it should have been given the opportunity to submit other nominations. Mr Ridley said he "thought he was covering the situation" when he made representations on behalf of Mr Besley. He told the cpnference, however, it had to bear in mind the fact that moves to form the reserves board began more than two years ago.

•• V . . 'V I Mr Ridley said he was disappointed, though, that he had not known abjout the other nominations. 1 He maintained that ttser representation was better achieved through the local bodies | It was to be hoped that all locally elected , niembers ! had the interest of sportsmen at heart. Mr Ridley suggested the federation maintain a strong lobby through the local bodies. Th$ federation president, Mr O. S. Hintz, said it appeared the Lands Department wanted nothing to do with the federation. The last letter on jhe matter had been acknowledged by the Prime Minister and Mr Ridley" — but rio reply had beerr received from the Acting Minister of £ Lands. ' Mr Hintz suggested that ■ Mr Ridley, in his representations to the Minister, should raise the point of co-opted members. Mr Ridley said he agreed „ the suggestion had merit