GEAR ISLAND LEASE TO GOLFERS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 66, 10 December 1938, Page 15

GEAR ISLAND LEASE TO GOLFERS

What The Act Provides

OPINIONS OF SPOKESMEN FOR OTHER SPORTS

Representatives of sports organizations who were interviewed yesterday regaidthe probable renewal ot the lease ot Gear Island by the Hutt River Board to a golf chib for another five years (from 19-10 to 1945) stated that in their opinion this was departing from the spin and intention of the Dutt River U n (Gear Island) Empowering Act, under which the board's powers tn regard to the island were determined. This legislation is termed an Act to authorize the Hutt River Board to develop and control Gear Island as a area and pleasure ground and ornamental park and for those purposes to grant leases to sports bodies and others and. to raise money for the development and improvement of the land.” ~ The Act defines sports bodies thus. “‘Sports bodies’ means any. body, whether incorporated or not, the object or the objects of which is to provide its members witli facilities or opportunities for engaging in football, cricket tennis, golf, lioekev. rowing, bathing, swimming, boxing, croquet. . bowls, athletics and a, other kindred (sports and games calculated to promote physical health and weael"t°’is' s’et out that “the board may, for the purposes of providing sports areas or pleasure grounds for the residents of the Hutt Valley, the city of Wellington and the surrounding districts in accordance with a scheme approved by the board, develop, manage and control the island and for such purpose shall have the following powers in addition to any other powers vested in it under the Public Bodies Leases Act or any other Act “To grant leases without submitting the same to public auction or public tender to sports bodies or any other persons of the whole or any part of the island for any term either with or without the right of renewal but so that the aggregate duration of the original and the renewed terms shall not exceed 50 years. Scheme for All Sports. A representative of a big sporting organization stated that there had been a conference of most sports bodies some years ago to formulate a scheme as mentioned in the Act, but those represented could not agree. It was decided then that golf have only part of the ground, this sport to be included in.the ultimate general scheme for utilization of tlie ground. The broad outline of the scheme then m mind was for golf to have the southern end, Rugby, Association football and hockey another part, and the centre to he. the site of a running track. The whole idea was to have a scheme embodying all sports, but the difficulty then was finance. However, the purpose of the Act was to make Gear Island a general sports ground and not to give the sole use or control of it to any one sport. The representative of another sport embracing thousands of players said that in his opinion to lease the island to one sport to the exclusion of others was not “a scheme” as set out in the Act. Some eports could not compete with others in the matter of finance, but the principle of public reserves was not to turn them to the best financial advantage but to so utilize them to give the most lasting physical advantages to the greatest number. It was a true contention by board members that the golf club had the right to expect some extension of tenure in view of the money it had already expended in improvements and would in the future spend, but this argument could be raised again and again as each lease expired. Unless care were exercised and the large sporting bodies fought hard there was the danger that Gear Island would ultimately remain for the sole use of one sport. The issue of the exclusive use of the island by one sport had to be faced up to eventually and in fairness to the present lessee it should be done now. The use of plural descriptions in the Act, such as-.“sports areas or pleasure grounds,” showed clearly what was in the minds of its framers, said. , another sports organization representative.