COUNCIL NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 206, 1 September 1936, Page 12

COUNCIL NEWS.

FORT BASTION SITE.

DEFENCE REQUIREMENTS.

OLD STATION AREA

The Auckland City Council met lasjt night, the Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, presiding. Fort Bastion Site.—A letter "was received from the Minister of Lands, the Hon. F. Langstone, with regard to the proposal that the Fort Bastion Site should be constituted a public domain, and stating that this matter had recently been taken up with the Defence authorities, and advice had now been received to the effect that, after giving careful consideration to the proposal, the Defence Department, in view of the very definite value of the reserve for defence requirements, was not prepared to relinquish control of the area. It was not possible at present to taken any action in the direction desired by the council. The ''letter was referred to the parks committee with the comment by the Mayor that "we may yet be able to come to some satisfactory arrangement."

Old Station Site.—The early use of tlie old railway station site as a. parking area was recommended to the Auckland City Council last night in a report by the traffic superintendent, Mr. C. Bland. The matter was referred back to the legal and by-laws committee. It would be necessary, the report stated, for the legal and by-laws committee to consider the scale of fees, and appointment of an attendant and his hours of attendance there, and the erection of suitable sign boards. Mr. Bland recommended the issue of a daily ticket for one parking only at 6d, and a weekly - ticket at 2/6, to be available for one vehicle, but with no limit to the number of parkings on any one day. To keep the cost of staffing down to a minimum, he suggested that an officer should be on duty between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Street Crossings.—7t was decided to adopt a recommendation by the superintendent of traffic to require motor drivers to give right-of-way to pedestrians' using defined street crossings.

Point Chevalier Library.—A decision was made that the present library facilities at Point Chevalier should be transferred to the hall, and that the necessary alterations should be made in the building; also that the present library be converted into a dwelling.

Grafton Bridge.—-The stores purchasing officer reported that 165.000 ft of scaffolding timber was necessary for Grafton Bridge, and it was decided to call for quotations.

Tennis Courts.—The superintendent of parks reported that the resurfacing of the tennis courts at Victoria Park would be completed before the tennis season.