$236,000 claim for damages

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33783, 4 March 1975, Page 3

$236,000 claim for damages

CN.Z. Press Association) t WELLINGTON, Mar. 3. ' The hearing of claims amounting to $236,000 ! | against the Taupo Borough Council and the Taupo ; Domain Board in respect ; of flood damage to the Spa Hotel, Taupo, was resumed in the Supreme ! Court at Wellington today, j The hearing began last! November and after sitting! four days was adjourned be-; cause of the illness of Mr! Justice Haslam. It is being heard by his Honour sitting as judge! alone. The first plaintiff, J. W.i Birnie, Ltd (in receivers hi,:: | is claiming $136,000: the! second plaintiff T. A. Heath,' Ltd, Taupo, is claiming! $91,600: and the third plaintiffs, James Watson Birnie, hotel proprietor, and Eunice Mabie Birnie, married, are claiming $B6OO. The borough council is named as first defendant and

tthe domain board as second, defendant. The plaintiffs claim that itwo floods of the hotel property, in 1969 and 1971, [were wrongfully caused by 'one or more works by the i defendants. These resulted in Ithe hotel being put in re'ceivership. They claim that two ■ streams, one thermal and 'the other cold, flowed' jthrough the hotel property; land actually joined on the' (site. j The plaintiffs allege nui■lsance on the part of the! defendants by failing to take' all reasonable steps such as, enlarging culverts to prevent flooding. Candidates.— The Social I Credit League has selected a! 131-year-old airline manager, !Mr David Stevens, to challenge the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon) for the lamaki seat in this ' year’s General Election, Its: candidate for the Mount' Roskill electorate is Mrs! Brenda Delamore, aged 36, a housewife. (P.A.)