Harbour Reclamation

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 211, 24 August 1926, Page 5

Harbour Reclamation

Example of Other Ports

OBJECTION TO INTERFERENCE. NAPIER MEN’S DISCUSSION. "What would either Wellington or Auckland do if the Marine Department tried to prevent them from carrying out reclamation ? They would very soon assert themselves to oppose interference and, if you have any pluck, you will assert youraelves,” said Mr. J. H. Edmundson at the annual meeting of the Napier Chamber of Commerce last night during a discussion on the question of reclamation, the result being that it was decided to await the outcome pf to-morrow's meeting of the Harbour Board before asking the Mayor io call a publio meeting to consider the matter.

The president (Mr. A. Hobson), in bis address, introduced the subject of the urgent need of the opening up of the endowment lands of the Napier Harbour Board. There was no doubt ‘that the question of opening up the Whare-o-Maraenui block was of vital interest to Napier, as it was the only tneans by which the town could develop and extend its boundaries.

.NAPIER’S UNIQUE POSITION. He pointed out that Napier was in a unique and anomalous position as far as its boundaries were concerned. It was bounded by the sea on one side and on the others by the Napier Harbour Board endowment lands. No work could be undertaken with loan moneys, firstly, without practical unanimity of the members of the Harbour Board; secondly, without the sanction of Parliament; and, thirdly, without the will of the people from Napier to Waipukurau and for

acme 30 miles in the other direction. This meant that unless these people voted for the loans then, under the present condition, there could be no extension of the boundaries of Napier and no opening up to provide residential sites. These endowments were a trust in the hands of the Harbour Board and, leaving Napier out of the question altogether, it was the duty of the board to develop these lands to the utmost of their economic capacity. The prosperity and growth of Napier would greatly increase the value and revenue-producing capacity of all Harbour Board assets. INSEPARABLE INTERESTS.

It was an undeniable fact that the Interests of the Harbour Board and the Napier Borough Council were interwoven and inseparable. If all could realise this they would feel on common ground and do more with the reclamation and drainage works . than they had been able to do so far.

A FARCICAL STATEMENT. Mr. Wardell-Johnston strongly oj>posed the statement of the Marine Department that the Harbour Board was dealing with matters outside its province in going in for reclamation. At present, he said, the board’s lands were like “no man’s land,’’ and were simply acting as a stranglehold on the development of Napier. “For the Marine Department to say such a thing,” he said, “to put it mildly, is farcical. If the Harbour Board has no power to function on these lauds, 1 would like to know who has. 1 don’t care, personally, which way the harbour question is settled, but I do say that reclamation is absolutely necessary, yet at the present juncture it seems impossible. 1 would like strongly to dissent from the Department’s remarks. Mr. Hobson: That appeared in the report of the Department to the House. It may be all right for some towns, but 1 don’t hold with the attitude of the Department concerning Napier. It will affect any legislation to promote reclamation or the drainage of these areas. Mr. F. Rice: The Department may be afraid that moneys vested for special purposes may be devoted to others.

Mr. Houghton thought the statement by the Department would be •11 rigbt if handled properly.

RECLAIMED LAND INDIS- ; PENBABLE.

\Mr. Fairclough: If we are going tJ, have a haroour we must have land to build homes on for the men Who are to make it. Mr. K. McLeay: Do I understand that the Department is antagonistic to reclamation being done out of loan tnoney or only out of revenue. Air. Hobson: It seems simply antagonistic. Mr. McLeay: Why did the Government see fit years ago to endow the board with these lands? There are Inch things as general harbour regulations, and the Marine Department is there to interpret those regulations. They do not provide for revenue being invested in anything but harbour construction or harbour facilities. As an alternative to the present position, the lands should be taken from the Harbour Board and vested in the Borough Council. It Would be a big problem, but it seems to me to be the only way to get Anything done.

RECLAMATION PARAMOUNT. Mr. T. H. Ringland urged that reclamation was paramount, and moved that the matter be referred to a committee to make a recommendation. Mr. Somerset Smith, in seconding, said he thought that they were up against a technical point. Probably the Marine Department was right in affirming the principle that this asset must bear the cost of its being put in a condition to be utilised by the public. Mr. J. H. Edmundson: “What would either Wellington or Auckland do if the Marine Department tried , to prevent them from carrying out reclamation? They would very soon assert themselves to oppose interference and, if you have any pluck, you Will assert yourselves.” (Continued on Next Column).

(Continued from Previous Column). AN ILLOGICAL ATTITUDE. Mr. G. Venables: I can’t understand how the Government allows the Harbour Board to collect £7OOO per year in rents from land which was reclaimed for a syndicate who got their authority from the board. If the board has no power to reclaim lands, how could a syndicate do it? It seems to me most illogical for the Department to say that the board cannot reclaim its own lands. The Wellington Harbour Board lias for years been reclaiming itb foreshore. It is making the most of its endowments. I would suggest that any action of the chamber should be deferred pending the meeting of the Harbour Board to be held on Wednesday. It they don’t decide on anything, then the citizens should be called together to determine what steps they should takp. The town has been hidebound long enough. Napier’s three Harbour Board members were returned chiefly to support reclamation, and the town will be strangled unless it can yet some cheaper lands. GOVERNMENT PROMISES HELP. Mr. Hobson: Some time ago a deputation waited upon the Hon. Mr. McLeod to see if lands could be obtained so that Napier could expand. The Minister, in reply, said that it would be only with reluctance that the Government would interfere with a local body, but he assured us that if the Harbour Board did not do its duty in providing lands the Government would assist. Mr. Wardell-Johnston withdrew his motion, and the following was carried: “That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting that reclamation is urgently required and that it is vital to the interests of Napier and the surrounding districts that the same be proceeded with immediately.” A copy of the resolution is to be forwarded to the Marine Department. It was further resolved that, in the event of nothing of a progressive nature being done by the Harbour Board, the chamber request the Mayor to call a meeting of citizens to determine what action shall be taken in future in regard to reclamation.