CONTROL OF ESTUARY

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29855, 22 June 1962, Page 14

CONTROL OF ESTUARY

Council Seeks

Report

“The Drainage Board has too much work on its plate looking after the sewerage and drainage of the city, and I cannot see anything being done in the foreseeable future to develop the estuary unless a development committee is formed,” said Cr. P. J. Skellerup to the City Council on Wednesday evening. He was commenting on a report from the Drainage Board on its decision to proceed with a survey of the Estuary, using its own staff and consultant engineers. ‘The works committee should be constituted an Estuary development committee,” Cr. Skellerup said. The Mayor (Mr G. Manning): I can’t accept that. You are encroaching on the functions of another local body. “Well. I will move that the council requests the works committee to investigate the setting up of an estuary development board, the board to go out of existence at the end of 10 years when it has completed its work,” Cr. Skellerup said.

He then accepted a suggestion by the Mayor that the committee investigate the ramifications of the control of the estuary. “This is making a joke of a report brought down by the board three months ago and which was given wide publicity,” said Cr. T. D. Flint, who is a member of the board.

The board was doing the work now and was a month ahead of schedule, he added. Cr. Skellerup appeared to be interested in an aquatic playground, but the board was interested in the drainage of the tidal reaches, Cr. G. A. G. Connal, another member of the board, said. “My advice is to leave it alone.”

The council approved the request for a report on control of the estuary—“for information," the Mayor commented.