KAMO TO BE REPRESENTED ON POWER BOARD?

Northern Advocate, 11 February 1938, Page 2

KAMO TO BE REPRESENTED ON POWER BOARD?

Whether Kamo, which recently came into the North Auckland Power Board district, should be represented on that body through the Whangarei County Council or associated with the Hikurangi Town Board, was a point discussed at the meeting of the Whangarei County Council today. Application is being made by the secretary of the North Auckland Power Board for the inclusion of the Kamo Town District in the Whangarei county constituent district for the purpose of electing representatives to the power board. Under this arrangement, the Whangarei County Council would .be appointed the ruling local authority for the constituent district. If the proposed amendment is ratified by Order-in-Council representation. on the power board after next election will be; —Whangarei county and Kamo Town District, four members; Hobson and Otamatea counties, throe each; Dargaville Borough and Hikurangi Town District, one each. To Best Advantage?

Whether the application as favoured by the power board, was to the best advantage was questioned by the county clerk, when the notification from the power board discussed by the Whangarei Council today. Converting representation into a money basis, Mr Hemphill pointed out that the unimproved value of the county was £1,600.000, so that each of the four county members on' the power board represented £400,000. Against this the unimproved value of Hikurangi Town District, with a representative of its own on the board, was £36,600, and of the Kamo Town Board, £37,700. Mr Hemphill also suggested the advisability of grouping bodies under the same franchise.

Hikurangi and Kamo joined to elect one representative to the Whangarei Hospital Board and application was being renewed to the Marine Department to have the same grouping for Whangarei Harbour Board. Kamo’s Suggestion.

Tine suggestion that it should be groped with the county on the power board, had come from the Kamo Town Board said the county chairman, Mr J. A.’S. Mac Kay. He doubted whether full consideration had been given to the aspects now raised by the clerk. On his motion it was decided to communicate with the Kamo board, pointing out the advantages of grouping with the Hikurangi Town Board. While believing that Kamo would be equally well represented in association with Hikurangi, Mr Mac Kay made it clear that if grouping with the county was still preferred, no objection would be raised.