AIRPORT BOARD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 98, 14 July 1944, Page 5

AIRPORT BOARD

BOROUGH COUNCIL'S FORESIGHT

FURTHER APPEAL TO COUNTY

Complete inability to understand the action of the County Council in turning l , down so flatly the proposal to establish a district aerodrome, after first figuring in the suggestion as the actively interested' party, was expressed by Borough Councillors at last Monday's meeting., when a letter was read 1 from the County representatives disclaiming all interest in the scheme. an.di insisting now that it was a State responsibility. "Its quite beyond me," said Cr Canning Avhcn discussing the letter. "It is a strange attitude to take up when Ave are only asking them to form an Airport Board Avithout tieing them up to any immediate expenditure." He. added that the County seemed to be frightened of the Borough Council, and to have been so scared stiff of the Hospital loan, that they could think of little else. It Avas high time the Hon. Nordmeyer came up and gave them all a dose of pcnnicillin to Avake them up. Cr Canning ■went on to say that as far back as June 1938, the. Borough had sought the County's interest in the aerodrome proposal. Under the chairmanship of Mr J.- G. Cliff-McCulloch a combined committee had recommended the acquisition of SliaAv's site at Paroa to both councils. The cost was'expected to be £7000 for a 140 acre block and to raise the loan Avas estimated to mean an annual rate of £550 spread the County and the. Borough on a 60 per cent-40 per cent basis respectively. Revenue accruing from grazing Avas likewise, to be shared on the same basis. In view of the abo A re he. failed completely to see Avhy the ratepayers should be scared of the which would in any case put the district on the map as far as aviation went. "This is too serious a matter to be dropped' now," saidi Cr Canning. "Here we have a local body with something like £26,,000 in hand, afraid to co-operate in the matter of aviation. If they cannot see the future, I am sure their ratepayers can, and I would even go so far as to inivifte the Borough Council, Chamber of Commerce andi the County Council to call meetings in the various centres to prove it. I'm sure they'd all be with us." Cr Warren: Is there anything to be gained by talking about it! The Mayor: I personally see nothing to be gained. This is the second time Ave have asked them to discuss it Avith us, and the second time Ave have been turned down. Cr Warren: I'm only a young member of this council but I'm intensely interested in this subject. Whakatane is the geographical centre for the Eastern Bay, and I think it would be a grave mistake to let this opportunity slip by. We have been asked by the Government to form an Airport Board. If the County Avould not co-operate,, surely there Avas some other alternative. He was sorry to see the County's attitude. No figures had been put fonvard to back its case, or to be of assistance. Its whole criticism had been destructive. Cr Creeke: Why not carry on Avithout them. We have still the Harbour Board and the Chamber of Commerce. If avc formed those bodies into a Board, Ave could at. least go ahead and get the information Ave Avant and the adA'ice Ave need. After all it is not essential for the County Council to link up. The, Mayor: It is not necessary. But they will be needed as a contributing body in the future. Cr Canning then moved that the County Council be re-approached pointing out the vital nature of the scheme, and its great bearing on the future of the toAvn, and requesting a conference on. the whole subject; also that the Chamber of Commerce and the Whakatane Harbour Board be. likeAvise invited to meet the Council Avith a view to discussing the setting up of an Airport Board. "This is like the time when we battled for the introduction of electricity in Whakatane." said 1 Cr Canning. "Cr Sullivan will remember how the old people fought us by saying that the rates would kill them., and that they were happy with their candles and ! kerosene lamps. We were regarded as the unwanted new blood which was disturbing their peace." ' Cr Warren in seconding, said he regarded the County's action in refusing to discuss the project as a straight out 'block' to a scheme Avhich Avas vital to the district's future progress, and Avas wanted by the majority of the. residents. He did not think it right that it should be allowed to impede progress when other local bodies were deeply in-

terestcd and desired to give the people these facilities. The motion was then carried unanimously.