BLENHEIM REQUESTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1938, Page 6

BLENHEIM REQUESTS

A CIVIC CENTRE

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER

A deputation representing the Blenheim Borough Council and the Marlborough County Council was received by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) yesterday. Two matters of importance placed before him were a proposal to build a civic centre in- Blenheim to house both the borough and county offices and provision of land by the Crown at White's Bay to replace an area taken from the Omaka Domain Board some years ago for the Blenheim aerodrome and for which no compensation has been made.

The deputation sought to ascertain if a Government subsidy towards the cost, estimated at £23,000, could be made for the civic centre, also, if the Government would approve the raising of a loan by the two local bodies to meet their share of the cost. Should the land at White's Bay be made available it is intended to use it as a seaside resort for Blenheim. The difficulty to be overcome is that the land is Native land! ....'.

It was explained that the civic centre was contemplated as part of the Centennial celebrations.

Mr. Parry expressed satisfaction with the proposals, but said that a grant for such a purpose would bring a flQod of applications upon the Government. If such buildings were being erected, he said, provision should be made for the physical recreation of the young people. The deputation later made arrangements to meet the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash).