RHODES STREET RESERVE

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27434, 21 August 1954, Page 8

RHODES STREET RESERVE

COUNCIL OFFICERS’ STATEMENT

“VERY FEW” TREES ON PROPERTY

The view that many persons were confusing the trees in the Rhodes street reserve with those on the Rangi-ruru School property adjoining it was expressed yesterday by the Director of Parks and Reserves (Mr M. J. Barnett). Letters to the editor of “The Press” have been written opposing a proposal by the City Council to revoke the reservation and sell the area, which is at present leased to the Rangi-ruru School. The reserve was only about a quarts of an acre,, and on that small piece of ground there was a tennis court and surrounds, so there were very few trees indeed, said Mr Barnett. There were a few native’trees and exotics. They included ribbonwoods and New Zealand beeches. The entrance being used was actually school property. When the City Council met last week, the reserves committee reported that the reserve served no useful purpose for the public and was only a liability. It recommended that the land be sold, and it reported having asked the school to make an offer for the land. The bursar of the school (Mr J. L. Kerr) said the tennis court had been, leased by the school, and the area around it, although small, would be very useful to 5 school of 400 girls as an extension of the playing area, into which it jutted at present It had been suggested that the school’s new entrance could go there, but that was most unlikely to affect the trees, and the school had no desire to build there. He felt the area would be better looked after as part of the school property. To his knowledge nobody used the reserve as such. The secretary of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Forest and Bird Protection Society (Miss Millicent Jennings) said that the birds in the reserve were grey warblers, and shining cuckoos from New Caledonia. “Something should be left for the creatures here before we were,” she said. Miss Jennings also criticised the council for not giving warning of what it intended to do. History of Reserve City Council officers explained yesterday that the council had taken the title of the reserve in August, 1023, after the Rhodes estate had been cut up. The Municipal Corporations Act requires that in certain circumstances the council should, before approving a subdivision, require the owner to make provision for reserves# It was customary for 5 per cent of the area to be created a reserve. Two attempts had been made to form a tennis club there, it was said. The first had been started before the war. but was not very successful, and when in 1946 the council wished to sell the property, there had been opposition The decision to have the reservation lifted had been rescinded, chiefly because the -tennis club was rejuvenated at the prospect of losing the reserve, but the club lasted only another year or two. Council officers said an occasional person might use the reserve, but very few did. There was a Very narrow frontage—6ft—and it was not a suitable area for a children’s playground, because it could not be easily policed. The tennis court had fallen into disrepair. The City Council is to meet on September 20 to consider and, if approved, to pass a resolution consenting to the revocation of the reservation and taking steps to have it sold, the proceeds to be used towards the purchase of other land for similar purposes. Members of the public may lodge objections to the proposal with the City Council until September 16.