ALTERATION OF BOUNDARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 142, 17 June 1926, Page 8

ALTERATION OF BOUNDARY.

ONEHUNGA AND ONE TREE HUL. THE COMMISSION SITS. The Commission appointed by the Minister of Internal Affairs tp inquire into the proposed alteration of the boundary between Onehunga and the One Tree Hill districts eat at the Onehunga Courthouse this morning. Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., presided, and he was accompanied by Mr. J. . Lowe (Commissioner of Crown Lands, North (Auckland) and Mr. J. B. Wallis (District Valuer, Auckland). Mr. H. A. Yockney (town clerk) represented the Onehunga Borough Council. The One Tree Hill Road Board was not officially represente. The Chairman said the proposed alteration had been aeked for by property owners in the One Tree Hill district adjoining Onehunga east, who had petitioned the Onehunga Council to take them into the borough. The Minister had appointed the Commission to hear any objections to the prayer of the petition. Mr. Yockney said he-.was a resident and property owner in the area which it was proposed to transfer from One Tree Hill district to Onehunga, consisting of about 325 acres. The area is bordered on three sides by the borough, and about two-thirds of it is not built on. Onehunga had for the last 20 years eupplied water to the residents in the whole of this area at 1/ per 1000 gallons, with a minimum charge of 10/ per quarter, and collected direct from the residents, not through the One Tree Hill Road Board. Mr. Yockney said he favoured the taking of this area into the borough, but not the proDOsed boundary. Ht thought a much larger area should be transferred from One Tree Hill to Onehunga on account of the drainage question, and suggested that the new boundary should be from Oneliunga east to Rockfield Road, up to the Great South Road as far as the Harp of Erin, and along Campbell Road to Tawhiri Road, which is the present boundary on the , north between the two districts.

Mr. Yockney further stated that Dr. T. J. Hughes, medical officer of health, was in favour of the proposal, as it would settle the present difficulty of drainage there. One Tree Hill Road Board was of the same mind, and the Onehunga Borough Council had no objection and was willing to receive the petitioners. Robert Smith, a property owner in the area involved, objected to it being transfered to .Onehunga unless the ratepayers could be relieved of the rates they are now paying on two water loans to the One Tree Hill Road Board, one for £5000 and one for £6000. He had no objection to coming into Onehunga if he could be relieved of the payment of any further rates on these two loans afterwards. Mr. McKean said the commission was not appointed to inquire as between ratepayers and the local authority. He supposed, however, that, the loans having been sanctioned by a majority of ratepayers, the rates would have to be paid until the loans had been liquidated. Mr. Yockney strongly supported Mr. Smith's contention under this J head One Tret Hill, he said, had included this area in the loan proposals and then intimated that they did not propose to lay mams to supply the ratepayers with water. r J

The chairman said this was an extrato ado rJ t P ° Bition for a local authority Mr. J. E. Cowell, Mayor of Onehun«a also supported the petition The chairman said the commission would report theh fiad i ng to the mS ter of Internal Affairs, who would comx n rw^ B : ith the interested pSS