PROPOSED MERGER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 137, 24 May 1928, Page 5

PROPOSED MERGER

TARADALE AND GREENMEADOWS EFFORT TO FORM A BOROUGH. COMMISSION HEARS VIEWS. For some Considerable time there has been a strong desire in Taradale to have the status of the town district increased to that of a borough. The proposal also included the merging of the residential area of Greenmeadows now within the Hawke’s Bay County. As a result of a petition to the Governor-General a commission was appointed to consider the matter. This morning the commission, composed of Messrs. H. A. Young, S.M. (chairman), J. D. Thomson, Commissioner of Crown Lands, and H. G. Lloyd, of Hastings, District Land Valuer, opened its sittings in the Napier Courthouse. Mr. H. B. Lusk, with Mr. V. Langley, appeared for the petitioners, Mr. C. H. Bisson for the main body of objectors, and Mr. M. R. Grant for certain holders of farming areas. OUTLINE OF NEGOTIATIONS. In opening the proceedings, Mr. Lusk stated that it was not an application by the Taradale Town Board to force Grenmeadows to amalgamate with them. In Greenmeadows a Progressive League had held various meetings, when lengthy discussions took place, it being agreed that the only way the district could progress was by the proposed merger. A meeting was later held between representatives of the League and the Taradale Town Board, when it was unanimously decided that a borough should be formed. A petition was then circulated requesting that a borough be formed. This was largely signed by both Taradale and Greenmeadows people, and forwarded to the Governor-General. Counsel ex- , pressed the opinion that it was in A the best interests of Greenmeadows that the proposed borough should be formed. Later, a counter-petition was circulated in which some 40 to 50 names appeared on it that supported the former petition. This went to show that propaganda had been circulated, in which it had been shown to residents that they would be penalised unduly by the proposal. Mr, Lusk went on to show how the Greenmeadows residents were now deriving considerable benefits from Ww-rts done by the Taradale Town Board. All the principal business houses in Greenmeadows were within the Taradale town district, and it eould rightly be said thrt Greenmeadows was really part of Taradale. RATING QUESTION. Dealing with the rating question, Mr. Lusk pointed out how under the unimproved rating the Greenmeadows area would pay considerably less than they were paying, on recent valuations, to the Hawke’s Bay County. For a number of years many of the Greenmeadows residents had escaped paying just rates owing to a valuation not having been made in the district for many years. Counsel gave as an instance where a resident in Grenmeadows paid a rate of £4 14/1 on a recently-valued property, while in the Taradale town area the rate on such a value would be £1 18/1. At present there was a gross inequality, and it could not go on; a revaluation would have to come. Something had been said about farming areas being exempted, said Mr. Lusk. He would go so far as to say that there were no farming lands in the district which should be brought into the borough. Counsel stated that one holder had purchased land at £6OO per acre under the unimproved value. This, he contended, could not reasonably be termed as being a farming area. It was an ideal area for subdivision. He could not see why people holding on to land at such value for the purpose of speculation should be cut out of the proposed borough. He cited the instance of another settler who had been purchasing small areas up to half an acre in various places, and any of these it would almost be impossible to purchase. They were at present being farmed, but T- could not rightly be termed as farming areas. This holder was one of the principal objectors, but such objections should not be entilted to hold up the progress of the district. LIABILITY FOR LOANS. Counsel pointed out that Greenmeadows would not be liable for any of Taradale’s past loans, being responsible only for the loans now levied on the district. At present there was practically no sanitation in Greenmeadows, and it was clear that the Health Department, from the way it was moving, that such could not continue for long. Taradale would soon have to undertake a more modern method of sanitation from which Greenmeadows would reap considerable benefit. The Taradale Town Board at present had an excellent housing scheme, having already erected 14 modern homes for workers. The extension of such scheme to Greenmeadows would be a great benefit. yet it would not affect the ratepayers, as the cost was borne entirely by those who took up the dwellings. Greenmeadows was a rich district, but was not going ahead as it should do, because the prices asked by the landowners were too high. There were various areas already subdivided, but were being run as a farm, waiting for the time to sell. Having no water, no drainage, no sewerage, and no footpaths Greenmeadows could not expect to progress, but all these benefits could be derived from having a borough. In spite, of the counterpetition he was satisfied that the Greenmeadows people were given a full statement of the facts. OBJECTORS’ CONTENTIONS. Mr. Bisson, for the objectors, stated that the question of propaganga cut both ways. Greenmeadows was not, as stated, an extension of Taradale, as there was a big area composed of large holdings between the two settled areas. It was alleged th-jt the Greenmeadows people got benefit from th Taradale Town Hall, but it had to be remembered that whenever they entered it they paid for it. Dealing with the question of rating, Mr. Bisson stated that the rating of Greenmeadows could only be reduced in a way that would be derimentai to fhe district. It was, an. absolute.