HARBOR RECLAMATION

Evening Star, Issue 15308, 7 October 1913, Page 3

HARBOR RECLAMATION

PROTEST BY RESIDENTS. MEETING TO BE HELD. A deputation consisting of Messrs G. W. Gibson, C. S. Owen, 11. Nichol, and R. Lee, representing the ratepayers in tho Bay Town District, waited on the Bay Town Board last night in regard to tho reclamation of 23 acres of the harbor in the vicinity of tho Anderson Bay :’nlet. Mr G. W. Gibson, after thanking the board for receiving the deputation, stated that the question was one of vital importance to the ratepayers in the district. They did not feel in a

position to ask the board to act one way or another regarding the matter. Their feeling was rather one of ignorance of what it was proposed to do. They felt that the ratepayers of the Bay district should have the matter placed before them, and the deputation would suggest that the board, as far as they could, should take the ratepayers into their confidence as to what they intended to - do. They would even go the length of suggesting that, if the board thought fit, they should call a meeting of the ratepayers to discuss the policy to be adopted. He under-

stood that the effect of tho proposed ■ reclamation would bo to leave a long narrow cut between the inlet and the harbor. They felt that it might have a very prejudicial effect on the inlet, and, through the inlet, on the value of property in tho district. It was the de_sire of all the residents in the district that every effort should be made to see that the inlet was not spoilt in any way There was another matter which required attention. He understood there was a proposal to lower the bridge, and, if that were carried out, it might a'so have a prejudicial effect on the inlet. Other members of the deputation endorsed Air Gibson’s remarks. . The Chairman (Air E. F. Duthie) replied that tho matters referred to had not been lost sight of by members of tho board. In regard to tho lowering of the bridge, they had received a plan which showed that the bridge was not going to be lowered to any considerable extent, if at all. A conference of representatives of the Portobello Road Board, the City Council, and the Bay Town Board would bo held shortly to go into tho whole question of the necessity for the erection of a new bridge, and until that' had taken place they did not know what proposals would be brought forward, but their representatives would, of course, do their- best to see tint the interests of the district were conserved. In regard to (he reclamation proposals, he could assure them that tne Bay Town Board had very strongly protested against their being carried out. A letter had been written by the board to the Alinister of Marine on April 8 placing before him the board’s views on the matter. On August 18 a reply was received stating that it had been decided that the Go-vernor-in-Council would be advised to approve of the reclamation when the Harbor Board had come to a satisfactory arrangement with the Dunedin Drainage Board in regard to tho objections raised by the latter body concerning the provision of proper means for car-ying off the storm water. The Chairman then read the letter which the Bay Town Board had caused to be, sent to the Secretary of the Marine Department, Wellington. It stated, inter alia: “The board maintain that at the present juncture it is not a question of the objection of the Drainage Board, as the district is in no way served by that board, but it is a question in which the Bay Town district is mainly affected. If permission is granted to reclaim 23 acres fronting Anderson Bay Inlet, it practically means that the inlet will become a stagnant lake, unless your department insists that a proper open channel be constructed to give free access to a flow of water according to the rise and fall of the tide, or up-to-date floodgates be erected, so that the enclosed area can be kept full of water when required. The district’s only safeguard at present against insanitary conditions is tho continual rise and fall of the tide in the inlet. If it could be shown that the reclamation of this particular area would bo of any great advantage to the Harbor Board, or that any use could be made of the land after reclamation, there might be some justification for the inclusion of this area in the board’s proposals. They consider it is the duty of the Marino Department to prevent a serious injustice being done to tho residents of the district. The board protest against the Marine Department’s approval of the proposed reclamation, and trust that the question will bo given further careful consideration.” The Chairman said that ratepayers would see from this letter that the board were doing their utmost in the matter.

Mr Gibson’s suggestion to hold a public meeting to discuss the matter w_as then considered, and after sonic discussion it was decided to call a meet ing of ratepayers for next Mouda evening.