RESERVE IMPROVEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 122, 19 November 1926, Page 11

RESERVE IMPROVEMENT

A DEPUTATION FROM SPORTS BODIES COMPENSATION FOR THORNDON ESPLANADE. I It is proposed that a large deputation of athletic and sporting bodies affiliated to the Sports Protection League should wait upon the City Council at its next meeting to urge the carrying-oat of various reserves and sports ground improvements, better bathing facilities, etc., and' particularly to urge that there should be a readjustment in regard to the compensation received by the Corporation from the Railway Department and the Harbour Board in respect of the taking over from the city of the Thorndon esplanade. When the Thorndon reclamation scheme was planned, special legislation was passed which provided that moneys paid to the Corporation by way of compensation should be devoted to the provision of other recreational facilities. In the Washing-up Bill of last session of Parliament, however, appeared a clause which authorised the Corporation to expend a portion of the money upon the widening of Wakefield street, between Taranaki street and Clyde quay square, the remainder of the money being expended upon reserves. At the time the secretary of the Sports Protection League (Mr. R. W. Shallcrass) entered a vigorous protest against the clause, but the principle was adopted. As far as can be gathered from public statements, finality has not even yet been reached as 'to the amount of compensation to bo paid for the taking of Thorndon esplanade, and it has been suggested that between the council's figure and the figure suggested by the Department and Harbour Board there is a very wide gap. One reason for the delay in coming to a decision is, it is understood, that, instead of money payment, an exchange may be arranged between the Harbour Board and the council, the board handing over an area of land to be agreed upon when the Evans Bay reclamation is carried out. The Harbour Board and the Railway Department also have land interests in the Wakefield street area.

The deputation of sports bodies, however, proposes to ask that the spirit of the legislation, prior to the adoption of the special clause in last session's Washing-up Bill, shall be given effect to —that is, that any amount involved in the Wakefield street widening shall be refunded and applied to ' reserves works.

The chairman of the Reserves Committee (Councillor W. J. Thompson) has indicated that the amount so involved was about £13,000. He did not think that there was much chance of reinstating that sum in the Reserves Department's funds.