CLYDE DOMAIN BOARD

Dunstan Times, Issue 3464, 7 April 1930, Page 5

CLYDE DOMAIN BOARD

This evening the final meeting of the present Board will take place when the last year’s operations will come under review preparatory to the an anal meeting on a date to be fixed. The Board has already given some consideration to the recent amendments to the Buplic Reserves Act which provide for a more liberal franchise than that which has operated here. Owing to the Town Trust and the Board consisting of the same persons, certain residents who were eligible for the latter but ineligible for the former were unfairly debarred from service toward the Domain Whilst this was originally agreed upon as a matter ot convenience there can be no question it acted detrimentally to the Domain. Ihe Trust in recent years has so frequently been busily occupied with its own business affairs that Board meetings were often out of the question, simply for want of time. The present members realising this are desirous that a seperate body should look after the Reserve, which is a valuable asset and can be greatly improved by providing more facilities for motor camping parties, at the childrens playing ground, and better conveniences for sporting bodies. Sections 44 to 49 of the Act above, referred to deal with the procedure to be followed in the appointment of Domain Boards A public meeting must be held in the month of May for the purpose of receiving nominations of nine persons to be recommended to the Department of Lands for election as members. If more than nine are nominated a ballot must be taken and on receipt of the Department’s approval the members elected constitute the Board for seven years. Who is eligible and allowed to vote at sucb meetings, is a question purposely left indefinite under the Act which holds [that “any person, who either uses the Domain concerned for any purpose of recreation (not necessarily football or any active sport) or takes an interest in its welfare, should be entitled to a say in the proceedings.” It is quite definitely laid dowm, however, that membership should on no account be confined only to a ratepayer. Further, these amendments have increased the amounts to which members may trade with the Board, since many instances of hardship, not tq say difficulty, have arisen in country centres. It is now lawful for a member to have a contract up to £lO p.a. or with the special consent of the Audit office up to £2O. The liberalising tcndancy of the various sections, of winch the above are examples, should meet with general approval since the property controlled belongs to the citizens, another sense of civic duty and responsibility will be cultivated by giving them a larger interest in the management of such areas. Yet while that is true another noticeable feature i» the stringent amendments made concerning penalties for offences against the laws governing reserves. Any Field Inspector, Don stable or Board employee may take steps _to prevent breaches of the Act or bring offenders to Justice. If depredations be persisted in, imprisonment may result. In case of tires these amounts are given to the Board except in one instance where a slight deduction is made.

We trust that by drawing attention to these alterations the citizens of our town will give the Domain and the future constitution of its Board some serious consideration in the next few weeks. A large representative alteration at the annual meeting is greatly desired by the outgoing Board, We should realise we have control of an attractive property, worthy of the best the citizens can put into it, and it ought to be possible to appoint nine residents who will care for it gladly and promote its best welfare in every way.