REGIONAL AREAS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3968, 30 September 1930, Page 3

REGIONAL AREAS.

QUEENSTOWN'S POSITION. rR.OPOSED INCLUSION IN OTAGO. INVERCARGILL PE 0 TEST. ‘•That this conference emphatically protests to the Town Planning Board against a re-opening the question'd! the regional planning boundaries, as all public bodies were given an opportunity to give evidence at’ the inquiry arid the boundaries were 'decided on the evidence given; That the board be reminded that in response to a question at The inquiry, Cie. Director of Town Planning stated that no ’further opportunity would be afforded to the public bodies to plead "their case; and that the. board be ininformed that, if the Dunedin public bodies are permitted to send deputations to the local bodies concerned, the Lake County Council and (lie Queenstown Borough Council, the Invercargill Public Bodies would claim the right to do likewise." The above resolution was unanimously carried on the 19th inst by .a conference of representatives of the Invercargill City Planning Committee, the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce, the Southland League and the Bluff Harbour Board. ' The following delegates attended Die conference, which was called for the purpose or Considering the attempt made by public bodies in Dunedin to have Queenstown and a portion of the Lake County included in the Otago regional planning area: His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. D. Campbell) and

Messrs F. M. Corkill, H. F. Drewe, L. Webb and G. St. V. Keddell (representing the Invercargill City Town Planning Committee): Messrs A. H. Mackrell and A. Ie HI. Hoyles (Invercargill Chamber of Commerce); Messrs C. S. Longuet, W. B. Dixon. H. F. Drewe, W. Hindiey and J. S. Dick (Southland League). Messrs W. B. Dixon and H. C. Gimblett (Bluff Harbour Board). The Invercargill Town Clerk (Mr C. L. Grange) was also present. The Mayor, who was voted to the chair, said that the conference had been convened in responilse to a letter received from Mr 11. F. Drewe, who had drawn attention to a paragraph appearing in a recent issue of the Southland Times as to the stand being taken in Dunedin regarding the boundaries question. His Worship then read to the delegates the paragraph in question, which ran as follows: — A conference was held in Dunedin recently between representatives of the City Council, Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers’ Association, Otago Expansion League and the Otago Harbour Board regarding the proposal of the Town Planning Board in A ellingtou to eliminate part of the Otago _ pro'vincial district and transfer it to Southland district, telegraphs our Dunedin correspondent. The conference agreed that a deputation representing the various bodies should wait upon the local authorities interested and lay before them the position as Tt appears fo file Dunedin Bodies. Tt is also unuenstooa that a deputation will wait on the Lake County Council within the next few days. Continuing, the chairman emphasised that Dunedin’s attitude was a serious one from the point of view ol Southland, and it had wisely been decided to hold a meeting lo discuss the matter openly and frankly. The Queenstown Borough Council and the. Lake County Council had both passed resolutions favouring inclusion in the province of Southland of the particular area in question. The speaker considered that every effort should be made in these parts to combat the Dunedin attempts at Including the area in Otago. There was c-erLuniy some opposition ventilated in Hie Queenstown and Lake Councils concerned, but it had not proved sufffcumlly strong to carry any •resolution so far as Otago was concerned. 1 he ; local bodies had ah approved of the provisional plan submitted by _ the Town Planning Committee, and it vas understood that Mr Mawson, the (director, when asked if any body would possess a further opportunity of urg-

mg its cause, had replied in the negative. Mr Dr ewe said that Otago really intended urging the two bodies concerned to rescind their resolutions and then to inform the Town Planning Board accordingly. He thought the reopening of the matter should be protested against. The chairman considered it advisable to obtain the bodies’ consent in writing as, at present, the advice received of the decision at which thev had arrived was unofficial. Mr Hoyles said he thought the wiser course would be to inform the down Planning Board that any re-opeifiiig was objected to, and in this step Mr Hinchcy concurred. Mr Drewe reiterated that the board should bo reminded that 3lr Mawson had given an assurance to Mr Poppolwell that no committees would be permitted a further opportunity of urging their case. It was understood that, all the local bodies had been asked to express, at the time, their opinions concerning the provisional boundaries. The chairman said that the Invercargill City Council had approved of the." suggested boundaries. Mr Mackrell emphasised that 'the protest should be an emphatic one, as if Otago succeeded in its endeavours, the alteration would 'have verv far-reaching effects. After further discussion the resolution mentioned above was then moved by Mr Drewe and carried unanimous"ly it was decided to forward a copy of the protest to the Hon. P. A. do la Perrelle, chairman of the Town Planning Board.