Board Members Ignored’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30919, 27 November 1965, Page 1

Board Members Ignored’

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, November 26.

There was a dangerous trend in many elected bodies in New Zealand in which the officers or chairmen were not keeping to strict local body regulations, Mr George Barker, a Wellington Harbour Board representative, said today.

Mr Barker said: “They are making far too many important decisions that should only be acted upon after full consideration by all members of the boards.”

An example where board members were “thrust aside” was a report in a newspaper this morning that the Mayor of Petone (Mr Ralph Love) had said that “the Wellington Harbour Board had agreed to the feasibility of his £2.5 million plan for the Petone foreshore.”

“I deny absolutely this statement because neither the board nor the Port Development Committee at any time had this matter placed before them for consideration,” said Mr Barker. “NOT APPROACHED”

“When I rang the board's general manager today he advised me to forget the whole thing as we had not been approached over the matter.

“But when I rang Mr Love he told me he had discussed the scheme with the chairman, Mr E. R. Toop, and the general manager, Mr H. Meachen.”

Mr Barker said: “It would appear that as in so many recent cases, members of the Wellington Harbour Board have been completely ignored.” He said that another instance was on November 3, when the board’s secretary wrote to suppliers advising them that the board did not wish to purchase spoil for a harbour reclamation scheme. Mr Barker said that the board had not been advised of the offer nor given a chance to dispuss it. RECLAMATION SCHEME Under Mr Love’s scheme about 200 houses would be removed and a service road built about 100 yards inland, between the Petone wharf and the Hutt river. About 350 acres on the west side of the Hutt river would be reclaimed to form an area for a golf course, sports ground, marina, yacht-

ing and boating club facilities.

Reclamation of the area would’ be “relatively easy.” The harbour board had agreed to the feasibility of the project, Mr Love said.

Families whose homes were affected by the scheme would be rehoused in the hill areas of the borough.