Police to maintain special vandal watch on parks

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 59, 25 July 1974, Page 3

Police to maintain special vandal watch on parks

Taupo police are to maintain a special watch on public reserves foliowing damage by vandals in the past week. Police had been informed of damage to reserves at the control gates, the A.C. Baths, Mere Road, Gillies Avenue, Taharepa Road and the lakefront, the borough engineer, Mr W. K. Kiddle, told the council on Monday night. "They have agreed to take special notice of these reserves during their patrols and have suggested that the public could help by immediately reporting any signs of vandalism," he said. The chairman of the works committee, Mr J. R. Nash, said there had been a further bad occurrence of damage to a reserve on Sunday night. "The control gates bridge reserve was badly damaged and I hope a prosecution will result," he said. "I must stress that the council is anxious to have assistance from the public in noticing instances of cars doing 'wheelies' on reserves." The council spends $52,000 each year in maintaining the reserves. * * * The council was told that the works committee had agreed to the judicious placement of large rocks in the vicinity of the Lake Taupo Yacht Club, both to enhance the appearance of the area and to act as a deterrent to people using the berms as a car park. A special report is to be made to the committee's

next meeting on the general appearance of the Redoubt Street hall area and the maintenance of the building. Staff have also been asked to look into the matter of flooding on to the Taupo golf course. * * * In his monthly report, Mr Kiddle said the time-

table change for refuse collection in the borough appeared to have been warranted. The changes came into effect "reasonably smoothly" from July 8 and there had only been four complaints from the 4500 households serviced. Local retailets, in particular, welcomed the new timetable. Previously refuse left in the business area in the business area was often left outside all weekend. * * * A Taupo man is keen to open a coffee lounge at the Armed Constabulary thermal baths. Councillors decided to meet Mr N. Gray for an on-site discussion of his proposals. Mr Gray plans a soft drink, coffee lounge type of service combined with restaurant facilities. It would front on to the public car park and be accessible from both the swimming pool and the public thoroughfare side. Mr Gray claimed in a

letter to the council that the service would enhance the bathing facilities, helping make the baths a "family type" attraction. It would also serve the sporting facilities in the area. * # * Permission was granted to Tamamutu Developments Ltd to erect 16 maisonette-type flats on a one-acre site at Tamamutu Street. A conditional use application by the company was granted subject to 11 conditions being met. One was that all efforts be taken to retain the mature native trees, conifers and other trees on the site. Landscaping, including shrub and tree planting, is also to be undertaken on completion of the buildings. A final site plan depicting buildings, existing tress and proposed landscaping, is to be submitted to the council for approval before a building permit is granted. _ ^ m