ADVANCE MIRAMAR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 308, 22 September 1908, Page 7

ADVANCE MIRAMAR.

AGREEMENT WITH HARBOUR BOARD. WHARF EXTENSION AND ROAD FORMATION. ARRANGEMENT MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY. • After some weeks of steady negotiation an agreement has been arranged between the Wellington Harbour Board aud tbo Miramar Borough Council which will havo a far-reach-ing cffect, not only on the now borough and its waterfront, but on Wellington .itself. It will be remembered that the original Bill pro?, moted by the 'board in conncctioii with the proposal to roclaim a stretch of the foreshore at the head of Evans Bay contained a betterment clause to which strong objection was taken both by members of the Borough Council and residents. Tho board, on its part, did not see its way clear to.go oil .with the scheme of reclamation without assistance in the form of a betterment rate, and matters looked liko arriving at a deadlock, when it , was decided that a conference of delegates ofthe two bodies might evolve some practice scheme whereby this important work shouli go on with mutual advantage to city, board, and borough. A settlement was arrived at yesterday afternoon, when an agreement was signed by representatives of both sides. WHAT THE BOARD IS TO DO. The Harbour Board, on its part, is to,ex* tend the present Miramar Wluirf for a distance, of 350 ft. iu a north-westerly direction, so that berthing accommodation will be provided at one arid the same time' for a steam collier of tho intercolonial type, a coastal tim* ' ber vessel, and a ferry boat, the wharf to be provided with railway lines for facilitating tho trucking of coal, timber, and general merchandise. The board is also to lower tho street known as the Miramar Cutting to deck level (level of tho deck of the wharf), • and to form that street to a width of 66ft. The board is also to lower Miramar Quay (tho road that runs along the foreshore from the' boundary between Miramar and the city, to the cutting) to deck level, and form it to, a width of SOft. These latter works are to bo undertaken in order to provido level roads from the wliarf and waterfront to Miramar ■. I'lat, where, it is calculated,, industrial works will be established in tho near future. The board is to guarantee a depth of 28ft. of water .at low tide alongside the wharf, which will hot bo difficult, as there is approximately a depth of 40ft. on the sito of the proposed * wharf extension. ' WHAT THE BOROUGH PAYS. Tho Miramar Borough Council, on its part, has to pay to the Harbour Board in return for the works to be done within, the jurisdiction of tho borough the sum of ~ £5000, £1000 of' which is to be paid on tho completion of the works, and the balance in four annual payments. It is the intention of the council to approach the larger laudowners within a. given radius of the wharf . for subsidies towards a portion of the amount . to be paid to tho board. Those who have already been consulted havo agreed to the proposal, so that thoro will be no hitch in that direction. A- clause in the agreement deals with the borough continuing the tram- ' w'ay lino from the entrance to the Miramar . Wharf, through the cutting to the flat. A condition is imposed in the agreement that / a. start must be made with tho work not later than December 31, 1909, and it is to, bo finished by June 30, 1911. The agreement ' will bo embodied in the Authorisation Bill to be presented to Parliament this session, to the passage of which no opposition is anticipated. . 1 MRV CRAWFORD INTERVIEWED. j " 'The negotiations with the"fiarbour Board havo been conducted on the part of the Miramar Borough Council by tho Mayor (Mr. C.' Crawford), Messrs. M. .Bell (a councillor)', and J. J. DeVine (solicitor). : .Messrs. H. Nicholls (secretary), Cachemaille (engineer), and C. H. Izard (solicitor) represented tho board. Mr. Crawford is firmly of the opinion that ' the arrangement that has been como \ to with tho Harbour Board has a great significance as far as Miramar is concerned. , With a good deep-water wharf, trucking facilities,' and good roads tapping a large area of flat land'close by, . he is convinced that Miramar must eventually becomo the ' industrial quarter of Wellington. The Wellington Gas Company, said Mr. Craw- • ford, was already establishing its works there, and it rvas only a matter of a little time before other industries would leave the city, owing to its high values and heavy rates. He thought the agreement was quite satisfactory as far as Miramar was concerned.