BRIGHTON'S NEED

Evening Star, Issue 25730, 1 March 1946, Page 9

BRIGHTON'S NEED

MOTOR CAMP PROPOSAL BOARD'S REQUEST AGAIN REFUSED The need of a camping, ground at Brighton, only 12 miles from Dunedin, and one of the most popular seaside resorts within easy reach of the city, has been stressed for some years by the Brighton Domain Board, the Automobile Association, Brighton residents, and holiday-makers. The Domain Board says a portion of the Brighton Domain is eminently suitable for the purpose, the Association is willing to assist financially in the project, and the numerous requests from people for camping facilities make it clear there )6 a real need. Requests to the Government for permission to convert a portion of the domain into a camping site, however, have always met with refusal.

The chairman of the Brighton Domain Board, Mr W. J. Bell, .told the ' Star ' that the board saw the need igr a camping site some years ago, and decided ihat a portion of the domain on the south-west end, including several sandhills covered with lupines, would be excellent for the purpose. It was proposed to level the sandhills. After consulting with the Automobile Association, 1 the board approached the Minister of Marine, and was refused permission. Since then there had been frequent ' requests by motorists for a camping site, and several campers had used the'roadside-and the township reserve, much to the displeasure of residents, who would like to see a permanent camping site provided. After a further request by the Automobile Association, backed by the hearty approval of the interested residents, the board recently again approached the Minister, stressing the growing necessity and the admirable suitability of the site. Again, however, the board had received the disappointing reply that, if it took a small portion of the reserve, the public would be deprived of a privilege. The area of the domain, said Mr Bell, was 11 acres, and it was proposed to use only about a quarter of ah acre of that as a camping site. The portion which it was proposed to convert was actually little used by the public. The only use that it had ever served was that on it were erected a shelter shed and conveniences sometimes used by picnic iparties. This area could be cleared of the unsightly overgrowth and levelled to the sandhills, the shelter shed removed, and up-to-date conveniences built. The fact that this part of the ground was seldom used by the public and that there had always been ample room on the other sides of the domain for motorists visiting Brighton for the day, and picnickers showed that there was nothing in the argument that the public would be deprived of a privilege by the establishment of a camping site. The Minister had suggested that an area on the Beach road, about a mile south of the. domain, would be approved. Such a proposition, however, would cost a good dteal of money, which the board. did not possess and from the motorists' point of view, it would be quite unsatisfactory, as it. was too exposed;; :; ;