PROBLEM OF HAYING FIELDS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14653, 23 April 1948, Page 2

PROBLEM OF HAYING FIELDS

Sporfs Bodies Approach lamp Borough Council For Assistance

PROVISION MADE ON DOMAIN FOR HOCKFv ASSOCIATION '*<

"We do seem to be up against a pretty difficult problemsaid the Mayor (Mr L. R. Wilkinson) when speaking a w short meeting- of the Domain Board to discuss the question of playing fields. The board, which met following the monthly meeting of the Tauranga Borough Council, had before it letter, from Tauranga College, the Tauranga Hockey Association the Tauranga Rugby Sub-Union and the Tauranga Primary Schools' Rugby Union. In addition, the council had considered a report on a recent conference between representatives of the council, the sub union and the Hockey Association, in an effort to solve the problem caused by the acute shortage of grounds for winter sport. The board decided that the Hockey Association should be granted the use of the main Domain ground on three morn, ings a month, play to cease at mid-day.

Cr. T. F. Connor advised that he and Cr E. H. Drew had met representatives of the Hockey Association and the sub-union. "Unfortunately," he added, "we could not get the two bodies to cqme to any working arrangement regarding the two grounds.*' The Hockey association would be prepared to make use of the Domain ground on Saturday mornings. A suggestion had been made that more use could be made of the College grounds. Position a Sorry One The position was a sorry one, Cr Connor added. The existing grounds were totally inadequate for the the number of teams. The area at Mount Maunganui would not be ready for a period, and the subunion was attempting to procure an area at the Gate Pa racecourse for matches. To allow all the Rugby teams to be fielded on the Domain, would result in there being no room for hockey. The Hockey Association felt that if it was pushed out now it would not be able to make a recovery. Players were training under adverse conditions on the Whareoai ground. Cr Connor said it had been found, on inspection, that no use could be made of the Seventh Avenue area, as certain filling work was required. Until this work was carried out he would not like to see an attempt made to play there. The question now was how to allocate the existing areas.

advised. The application by another '& body for the use of the DoJJJ? close to the opening of the Rni° season was in the opinion oft sub-union, ill-advised, in view of tl scarcity of playing areas to acco? modate the existing Rugby C luh' but the sub-union desired' to sB that it recognised the claims of a sister code, if and when there m! playing areas available.

Schools' Rugby The use of the Domain Rui grounds on alternate Saturdav mornings, starting on May 1, was/ quested by the Tauranga-Primari Schools' Rugby Union. It was explained that the union would be pro viding Rugby for more than 233 boys, and the hours of play would be from 10 a.m. until mid-day. After stating that the problem op, peared to be a fairly difficult one the Mayor remarked that the appli' cants did not throw a great deal of light on the best way to solve the problem. The Domain Board had only certain areas available and these areas had been used for Rugby over a period of years.

While he was in sympathy, with the Hockey Association, the Mayor felt it was a pity that that organisation had not approached the board with a suggestion for meeting the problem. At present they were placing all the problems on the council, and that was an unreasonable thing to do. Solution Sought The board was asked to. solve a problem for which there was no apparent solution. What was the solution? The applicants were just disclosing a situation of which members of the board were fully aware! What v/as required was some help in finding a satisfactory solution, concluded the Mayor.

Sport For Schools Writing to the council the Principal of Tauranga College (Mr A. M. Nicholson) voiced appreciation at the action of the council through its Parks and Gardens Committee, in allowing the college, during the past few years, the privilege of using the Domain and Wharepai grounds on Thursday afternoons for organised games. He hoped that by 1949 the grounds in the ten-acre block adjoining the college, would be ready for use, and would relieve the pressure from the Domain. In the meantime, the Principal was hopeful that the council would again, this year, grant the college the privilege of using the grounds as usual on Thursday afternoons. More than 50 per cent, of the pupils of the college came by bus, and it was only by setting aside Thursday afternoons as sports afternoon that these children got the opportunity of playing organised games, the Principal concluded. The request was granted. Provision For Hockey Application for the use of the Domain grounds on Saturday mornings, was made by the Hockey Association, which requested, in addition, that provision should be made for five Saturday afternoons for representative games with permission to make a charge for afternoon games. The association reported that there were six registered teams, with approximately 78 players, and there was a definite promise of more teams when the ground situation was finally settled. The sub-union had explored all possible channels to secure suitable areas, without success, the council was advised in a letter from the subunion. The ground at Mount Maunganui would not be available and, although the sub-union had applied for grounds at the racecourse, it was not certain that these would be forthcoming and put into playing order until well on into the season. The sub-union was therefore faced with the problem of finding sufficient grounds for eight senior teams, eight junior teams, four third grade teams and all the primary schools' teams, being approximately 500 players. The position would undoubtedly be relieved next year when Jordan Park and the new College grounds would be available but, for this season, the position was far from reassuring, the sub-union

Mr C. Kennedy explained that the area at Gate Pa v/as a Domain and was reserved for the use of the people of Tauranga. The Mayor thought that if an applicant applied within a reasonable time, the use of the Gate Pa Domain would be a reasonable thing to expect. However, there, would probably be stock grazing on the area, and these could not be turned out overnight. '' " ; r ;p c l "T Mr Connor explained that 'tie Gate Pa Domain was available li an application was made within a reasonable time. The Rugby authorities had applied for the area. » Hockey Association had agreed to play on Saturday mornings, f could provide two fields across the present Rugby ground. He moved that the association should be gramed the use of the mam Domain ground on three mornings a moron, play to cease at mid-day. . v The motion was seconded JWff W. A. Carswell. ,\.

Mayor's Amendment , The Mayor moved an. amending that the Hockey Association sh & be advised that owingtto the m application for grounds, and m vi J of the large number of teams o which provision had to be mj g council regretted that it ouW provide playing areas this but would do its utmost to do ? next season. J^--m'->titof The amendment lapsed for w,nu a seconder. „„„;»<;> the "I am going to vote against motion. It is wrong-that an ay" ation should spring up start of a Rugby season and jnr the onus on the, y grounds," said the Mayor, was the national game n wew land, added Mr Wigg, s spoke of the value of BugW schools. ~ .1,-1. them o ' After an explanationi that W tion, if carried, was only gr three Saturday mornmf aj W, with no provision for afternoon J the motion was carried <*«% the motion was carried wi" dissentient voices. __^--r

IMIN ARY SCHEME FOR CONTROL 01 KAITUNA RIVER llrt fi INTO FULL PRODUCTION 12,000 ACRI ~ OF SWAMP LAND DISSOLVE THREE BOARDS ANI 110 SET UP ONE AUTHORITY (Times Special Reporter) -,ior change in the administration of the swamp A JJjjLji by the Kai.tv.na River was decided on at a a meeting of drainage boards held at Te Puke on Mfhfii past the -administration of this land has been in the * n ?lree separate boards the Kaituna 'River Board, Te iS T nd Drainage Board and the Tmiru Kaituna Drainage "& nropesed scheme of major development for the area, J a scheme which will bring into full production apjuffever •- ocre3 0 f swa mp land and, according to a • ntrol by one authority, and the meeting at Te Puke necessary preliminary steps to have the three boards filed anyone authority set up. Addressing the meeting, the chairman (Mr W. Hudson Iwho is also chairman of the Te Puke Land Drainage \ stated that he did not consider they were making the ess thev should, and at his own expense he had visited Eton. 'From discussions in Wellington he learned that a ■able subsidy towards the cost of the development scheme Mrtb*forthcoming, but the authorities wanted to know if the ■st course was to put through the diversion cut as reeoml<\ bv the consulting engineer in his preliminary report.

u«sarance had been given that Jnmg was in order the surSk could be started At the | o me it had been pointed out m Si that request for a Govit subsidy on survey wow Unusual one, and advice as to i a subsidy would be granted jl awaited. *«.♦•.* ■•chairman pointed out that if ffor£l subsidy was granted to- * the cost of the development i the cost to them would total ft and the cost to the district Jbe £17.50 a year over the 3le area. ' : Support From Council jt Soil Conservation and River Jul Council, he added, was fully 'i Te Puke as far as the proid development scheme was ierned, and an assurance had i given that the people would te asked to provide more money -the rating capacity of the land. the time being, until the conig ailthority was set up, the swould be granted to the Kaii River Board or the Tauranga jty Council. A? a preliminary to the major ae,lr N. G. Hansen, engineer it Tauranga County Council, j has been assisting the cpmsl boards in an advisory capj,stated that it had been agreed pach the Government with a ito securing a subsidy on the i!j work which was estimated st £IOOO. ha letter to the Soil Conservaaaid River Control Council askir the council's assistance refer the diversion of the KaiRiver,"on behalf of the three uge boards which operated in lower catchment of the Kaituna i;the County Engineer pointed that parts of the area adminis3by all these boards suffered ithe condition of the Kaituna j, M thine back they held a comd meeting, and it was decided stain a preliminary report from Silting engineer, and Mr A. ray, of Auckland, submitted a binary report of a suggested * The position now was that combined boards wanted to go «with the scheme' providing a ailment subsidy was made * to assist them with the jKthe work required. ••letter to the council pointed •jat at .another combined meetPe beards, the County Engi- ; explained that it would be «ty for them to have a full »fMing survey and investigated out and to have firm Wto place before the'Gov- *• If a subsidy was assured, fflesame proposals would have /ore the Loans Board and to •"of ratepayers. galso explained to the meet--7 when asking the Governor a subsidy ior the works, m be necessary for them to !, a good factual case which Im that the works would I' we- national economy and SJ assistance in the way of a JWm taxpayers' money. It /' apparent that the com- ■ arcts lacked the necessary fij£ we V° undertak e the , 'ration of any such scheme, , was a question which could ill i later datc > wnen il ; known whether' the "would be proceeded with or J meantime, the letter conJf 6 three boards wanted the ;J* prepared and, although i-JJ n „ a n P°or way for funds, ; u Ply £2OO to go towards the J» The County Engithe council would

help these people who v/anted to help themselves by subsidising the cose oi a survey and the preparation of proposals to the extent of £BOO on a £4 to £1 basis. It was proposed to ask Mr Murray to do this work which would consist of a survey of the whole area and the preparation of final proposals suitable for submission to the Government, the Local Government Loans board and to a poll of the ratepayers. If the council agreed to vote this subsidy asked for, and the boards were advised of the decision at an early date, much of the survey work could be done before the winter set in, the letter concluded. Mr Hansen told the meeting that it was most unusual to ask for a subsidy on an engineering survey. The authority usually asked the body to carry out the survey and then submit the main scheme to it for consideration. If a £4 for, £1 subsidy was granted, then in his opinion, that would be very favourable. Referring to the main purpose cf the meeting, Mr Hansen pointed out that at the moment those present were representing three different boards with different powers and constitutions. The idea was to have a statutory body set up to administer the development scheme. The boards could not handle it on their own. Enacting legislation could be put through for one board to. act as a drainage and rivers board. There were, he added, two ways of administering thfe propose:! development scheme. '• Firstly, by the constitution of a catchment board and secondly by the setting ud of one local drainage-river board to carry out the work. If the scheme v/as favourable then he thought they would want to get on with che work and get the water oh the land. He would recommend, as the quicker way, that a statutory authority be formed to admimstei land drainage in the lower reaches cf the Kaituna River. The following resolution was passed unanimously: "That this meeting of representatives of the Te Puke Land Drainage Board, the Tumu Kaituna Drainage Board and the Kaituna River Board request the Local Government Commission to investigate the proposal to dizsolve the three mentioned boards and to set up one authority to administer land drainage and river control works within the area affected by the lower reaches of the Kaituna River—the areas of the three existing boards—together with such further areas as the Commission may consider desirable to be included tor the purpose of giving maximum benefit and control in the lower reaches of the Kaituna River and the land draining into it." The chairman stated that when in Wellington he had been told that it they did not get on with the jot the catchment board would. If that proved to be the case, added Mr Hudson Owen, nothing would be done as far as he could see, befcre 1951. The setting up of a catchment board entertained considerable work and it would be some time before it functioned. . „. . "We have achieved something tonight I can assure you," remarked the chairman when the resolution had been carried. [The preliminary report on the major development scheme, cornoiled by the combined boards consulting engineer, (Mr A. Murray), will appear in a later issue oi the Bay or Plenty Times.]