CENTRAL FIRE STATION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 14, 17 January 1930, Page 10

CENTRAL FIRE STATION

WAITING FOR COUNCIL

DUNEDIN'S BIG AREA

"Just what is tly; position regarding the central station site?" asked Mr. S. S. Dean at to-day's meeting of the Fire Board.

Councillor T. C. A. Hislop, ouo of the city representatives, said that the council had set up a special committee to go into the whole question of the utilisation of the lauds about the Town Hall, including the fire brigade area, and that probably that committee would be submitting a report at the next meeting of the council; so far there was nothing to report. Mr. Marcus Marks, the Government's rcpreseuhitive, said that recently _ he had visited the Dunediu fire station, and had gone over the site for the new station in that city. He would say that the present site was at least half as big again as the Wellington site, and the new site would be about' au acre; they had a drill yard in the present brigade area bigger than the whole of the Wellington site. He had been astonished that the present site had been considered too small. Superintendent Creeke remarked, that the land there was much less costly than land in Wellington, and in any case land was not to be had here. "If they will Jet us remain here," he concluded, "we can make it suit." EXTRA WORK AT NORTHLAND. The board then discussed the difficulty that has arisen at the Northland fire station site, where, on account of an old and hidden filling, the contractors found it necessary to carry the foundations of a considerable part of the walling down to as great a depth as 20 feet, in the worst spot, to reach solid earth. The board's architect, Mr. W. Turnbull, said'that the investigations made did not indicate a probability of having to go down below normal depth for foundations of similar buildings, and he recommended that the estimate as to additional work prepared by the contractors, £970, which very closely approximated his own, should be agreed to. The board adopted his recommendation, the chairman remarking that it was an unfortunate development, but even had the nature of the ground been evident before tenders were called, and, of course, referred to in^thc specifications, the tender prices would have been so miich higher, for the station had to go up on that site. The board approved of a report prepared by Superintendent Creeke, at the request of the Harbour Board, dealing with waterfront fire fighting equipment. Superintendent Creeke suggested minor alterations in a few . directions, and certain alterations to the arrangements of .the Toia, but expressed the general opinion that the equipment was in, very good order.