EDGECUMBE'S FUTURE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 95, 3 August 1945, Page 5

EDGECUMBE'S FUTURE

ALTERNATIVE SITE SUGGESTED

MINISTER'S INTERESTING

LETTER

An interesting point iri the letter from the Minister of Lands to the County Council regarding 1 the possibility of an alternative site for the township of Edgecumbe, as! a result of the recent decision to refuse all future subdivision caused! con--9 siderable discusion at last Tuesday's meeting. The upshot was thai a motion was passed' requesting the Minister to indicate whether or not it was permissible to utilise existing subdivisions as building sites. The letter, which wc reprint in full stated:— "Further to my letter of the 23rd March ? I wish to state that I have perused the report of the meeting held at Edgecumbe on the 9th May, a copy of which is enclosed for- your information,' and also discussed with my Department the question of the future development of Edgecumbe.

"Your Council I am sure will > f now appreciate the seriousness, of the problem of making provision for the. future control of ilood waters on the Rangitaiki Plains:. It is evident that adequate steps must be taken in the immediate future to protect the farmlands of the district either by the building of stopbanks along the river or by t other means that can lie determined only after complete investigations: have been carried out. The existence of a township and industrial works on the banks of the Rangitaiki River must however detrimentally affect any measures that will have to be taken for flood control. '?[' have thoroughly investigated the suggestion made at the meeting that subdivisions in. the township be approved subject to whatever stopbank restrictions that may reasonably be required. Your council will appreciate that ? if it is decid,ed that stopbanks are required, a strip of at least five chains in width along the river banks will be neutralised for building purposes. Cumulative with this requirement will be the need for the straightening of the existing course of the river and the location of the new highway between Edgecumbe and Te Telto some chains west of the existing highway which will pass under the railway embankment approximately three chains west of its present location. After provision has been made for these requirements the remaining land is mostly low-lying and entirely unsuitable for housing development. "The location of an alternative township site is being investigated. A number of poblems arise from this proposal such as. the suitability of various sites the effect of any change of site on existing industries,. the provision of railway access, the provision of water supply and drainage, and the present need for new houses for the accommodation of dairy factory and mill workers. These problems have to be closely examined before any final decision can be made. "From the expert evidence placed before me it is evident that Edgecumbe. will always he subject to serious flood hazard and it is solely in the interests of the residents of the town that I am anxious to bring about some solution of the prol> lem. In view of the position outlined above, and until such time as the matters referred to are final-* ly determined I regret that I am unable to approve any further sub' divisions at Edgecumbe. "I wish to thank your council for the courtesy and consideration extended to my officers at the recent meeting, and am sure that I can be assured of your council's assistance and co-operation in the solution of the problems outlined herein. You will be advised of further progress as soon as my department is in a position to submit proposals." Cr Hunter declared that the position was most serious from the settlers point of view. He raised the point of the 50 or 60 subdivisions in the township already and asked if they were automatically cancelled as building sites. The chairman (Mr J. L. Burnett) said he understood that Cr McCrac-

ken whilst, in Wellington would be investigating the position thoroughly on behalf of the Dairy Company. From what he. (the chairman) understood there was a definite suggesr tion of shifting the township todily to another site. Cr Hunter declared that this move had resulted from thg original enquiry as to the suitability of Edgecumbe for the erection of State houses. Now it had been declared unsuitable, it provided the opening for town-planners and so-called experts to insist upon the construction of a model township elsewhere. It was rather ail Anomaly to learn that at Lower Hutt P.W.D. machinery was being employed to build a huge stopbank to provide building sites for homes. The Edgecumbe committee was still convinced that the town was quite suitable on its present site to serve the and intended carrying the matter further when the opportunity presented itself. The motion referred to above was carried by the meeting.