‘EGMONT' REPRIEVED

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33995, 8 November 1975, Page 3

‘EGMONT' REPRIEVED

(N Z. Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, November 7. No announcement on possible changes to the name and ownership of Mount Egmonl will be made till after the General Election. The Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Rata) said in Auckland today that he had advised the Prime Minister (Mr Rowling) any announcement on the

transfer of Mount Egmont to Maori ownership or of renaming the mountain should not be made during the Prime Minister’s visit to Taranaki next week. Mr Rata said he did not consider there was enough time to discuss the implications of such decisions. Any announcement would be deferred till immediately after the election, Mr Rata said. “This will allow a meeting at which there will be

time to discuss all the details.” Mr Rata said he expected a report on the transfer, and renaming, to be available for discussion with the people. He also felt it should be discussed by the Cabinet before the meeting, and there would not be time for this with the election in full swing. He denied any suggestion that this was a move to delay the announcement

till after the election because its contents might not be palatable to the I people of Taranaki. “Taranaki Herald” readers voted in favour of retaining the name Mount Egmont. Of 1522 who replied to the newspaper’s poll on the name change, 1399, or 91.92 per cent, were against the change to Mount Taranaki, and 123, or 8.08 per cent, were in favour.