SEASIDE SECTION

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 54, Issue 32626, 26 September 1945, Page 5

SEASIDE SECTION

NEEDED FOR RETIREMENT GOOD AREA AT PURU SUGGESTION BY CR. J. W. NEATE The attractions of the Thames Coast as a suitable locality for farmers of the Thames Valley to retire was mentioned by Cr. J. W. Neate, who spoke against a decision made recently not to open up the full 50 acres of a property at Puru for a residential area. The land was not, in his opinion, suitable for the settlement of a returned serviceman as at present was proposed. The area in question at Puru, said Mr Neate, would l provide approximately 150 admirable residential sites on the Thames Coast within 15 minutes of the town of Thames'. The Minister had been requested to enable it to be subdivided for that purpose, in view of the pressing demand for residential sections along the coast. The Minister however, now proposed to cut up and sell 06 sections only and devote the rest of the area to a small farm for a returned serviceman. The area, said Mr Neate, was badly infested with cattle tick and there was a considerable amount of garlic •on ft- -J x- 1 The area was definitely residential land and badly needed for that purpose, and should not be used for farming, when it was practically suburban residential land and needed for such punpose. Use To Best Purpose “The proposal is contrary to the interests of the local authority (Thames County' Council), and to the whole district community, and the land should be made available for the purpose for which it is best suited and badly needed', as sites for homes, and unless it is cut up the people of this district will be deprived of the opportunity of acquiring a section or building a home in the locality where their interests are, and where many would like to retire, not too far from their farms or business,” said Mr Neate.

“If a 30-acre farm handy to town, -etc., is wanted, why should a 33-acre jproperty near the Kopu 'bridge be rejected 1 , and this one at Puru which has nothing like the productive capacity be taken from its natural best use. It is understood that the proposal to use the Puru area for rehabilitation has been adversely reported on in several quarters; and if it is carried out will be a substantial and: long-stand-ing detriment to this district,” concluded Mr Neate. It was agreed to call a conference of all the local bodies in the area to 'discuss the question with a view to making representations to the Government to have the land at Puru reserved for settlement purposes. another view ABOUT' MITCHELL’S BLOCK When advice through Mr J. Thorn, M.P., from the Minister of Lands; the Hon. C. F. Skinner, about the proposed disposal of Mitchell’s Block at Puru was received at the meeting of the council of the Thames Chamlier of Commerce recently, the chairman, Mr A. G. T. Bryan, expressed the view that the Minister’s solution did not satisfactorily meet the needs of the situation,. The Minister proposes, after setting aside a beach reserve, to allow for 40 building sections, and to set up a returned serviceman on the balance, with a dairy and fruit farm and provision for an area for a motor camp. Mr Bryan suggested that possibly the Minister did not fully understand the position. Local opinion was almost completely unanimous against the use of the land for anything other than residential purposes, with reasonable provision for public reserves, and that it was quite unsuitable for farming. Fruit-growing Difficult ‘•With so much orchard decrease to ■contend with, apricot-growing is a precarious business, while the soldier would have to wait nearly 10 years for any substantial yield of fruit from the new trees he would have to plant, he continued. The land was badly needed for residential purposes, as the area available was so limited and many people would be deprived of the opportunity of living along the Thames Coast, to the detriment of the whole district, and particularly the Thames County and Borough local authorities.

•‘Surely the principle of the greatest good for the greatest number should

apply,” said Mr Bryan. “I know of one better small farming area, just as handy to town, which has recently been rejected for rehabilitation.

Not Enough Sections "The 40 sections to be sold are not enough, when the property can easily provide 140 or more, with reserves in addition. It should be put to its best and natural use, and the progress of the Coast will be held up for many years if the Minister’s idea should be carried out, and the land be tied up indefinitely for farming.. While provision for huge numbers of homes to be built in the cities goes on vigorously, the Minister’s proposals will tend to hamper such development locally, and will certainly prejudice the district community. “I understand, however, that representations are to be made to the Minister against the proposal, from other sources, and this Chamber should continue to oppose anything which will result unfavourably. Development of the- area fully for residential purposes will do far more to rehabilitate servicemen generally than would the putting of one soldier on a very poor sort of proposition.” Mr Bryan added that, while he had nothing official, he had heard that the Hauraki Plains County Council was the other body referred to which was making' representations to the Minister on the lines he had mentioned. In Desired Direction Mr 11. T. Gallop said the Minister’s new proposal was moving in the direction the chamber desired, and perhaps further representation might cause him to move more iso. Mr S. Donkin suggested that the Minister might not be fully acquainted with the details; possibly the support of the Thames County Council could be enlisted if it felt the same as the Chamber. It was decided, on the motion of Mr Bryan, to reaffirm the previous views of the Chamber on the matter, to bring them to the notice of Mr Thorn, and also to endeavour to enlist the co-operation of other interested local bodies. Mr A. Danby pointed out that the alternative farm, to which Mr Bryan had referred as having been rejected, was quite unsuited for rehabilitation purposes as a dairy farm. The Puru farm was quite a different proposition. Mr Bryan: Yes, different when they want it to be different! Mr Danby: All right, then. We wiF agree to differ! ■