TAKAKA'S BEACH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 May 1939, Page 6

TAKAKA'S BEACH

IMPROVEMENT WORK AT , POHARA DOMAIN BOARD WAITS ON COUNTY d G RATE NOT FAVOURED BY COUNCILLORS n IV n T A deputation from the Pohara v Domain Board waited on the Takaka k County Council yesterday afternoon in s reference to needed work on the b Pohara beach and environs. ft Mr O. E. R. Page, chairman of the ft Board, said a great deal had been done I at Pohara Beach, but a great deal re- ft mained still to be done, before the ft Domain was what it could, and should,; ft be. The Board required about £3OO j for immediately necessary work and! ft they suggested that a rate be struck in ; ft order to spread the very slight bur-: v den over the whole of those interested | / in the Domain. He understood that!/ one-eighth of a penny rale would j F suffice. The Board's difficulty was that I it had nothing on which it could raise an overdraft to carry out the immed-| lately necessary work needed before J the camping site could be really |t revenue earning. i c |C • EQUITABLE WAY” |ft }B Councillor J. W. Page, who is also i j a member of the Domain Board, said' j the position was as stated and Coun- J j cillor Langford, also a member of thel j Board, added that a small rate seemed; the most equitable way of raising j money—a very slight burden indeed when spread over the whole country. Mr Cottier, in outlining the work al- j ready done by the Domain Board, said j that £275 6s had been spent. There was the Government grant of £IOO, the local bodies had contributed £ls, • camp receipts were £4. donations, , mostly from Nelson amounted to £4O 17s, raffles to £ls 9s and the gala z had produced £IOO. On the expendi- ( lure side buildings had cost £72, planting and levelling £122. grass £24, and at the end of their year. after ( smaller accounts had been paid, they had a credit balance of £SO 8s lid. This sum, however, had now gone in fencing and concreting. ASSISTING THE DISTRICT" J Mr Cottier added it was acknowledged that a good deal had been done, but not enough to make the beach real- ‘ ly suitable for campers and for the people of the district. If they left the matter to voluntary effort, the same 5 few would carry the burden. It had seemed to them that the best method would be for the Council to increase the general rate slightly and the improvements could be carried out immediately and their revenue from camping receipts would increase! rapidly. The Board, however, was not j .working for campers. Essentially it I was working for the local people—to j give them facilities to enjoy the beach. Making the beach attractive to campers was an excellent way of advertis- j ing the district. < A COOK HOUSE , The chairman < Councillor A. H. * Rose): "What is intended in regard to the cook house?” Mr Cottier: “On the lines of that at Tahuna. The Power Board had agreed to instal an electric range and would of course collect the revenue, but the facility would be there." Mr O. E. R. Page: “These facilities J are common in camping grounds throughout the South Island.” I The chairman: “I am not in favour of ! a rate. It should not be a tax on, property." Mr Cottier: “At present there is a] diiect tax on a few voluntary workers.” Proceeding, he said the Domain i Board was working to assist the whole; district. Mr O. E. R. Page suggested that the ; Council spread the rate over a longer : period, and thus decrease the burden. ■ The clerk (Mr G. E. Boyes) said - l-Bth of a penny rate would yield £l4O only. SOME RATEPAYERS HARD HIT Councillor Walker remarked , that j some people could not pay their rates ! now. Not a few had had a bad year.! especially sheep farmers. “I’m hoping j to be able to move to reduce the rates. | certainly not to increase them.” j Councillor Sparrow said the Pohara 1 Domain had cost the Council £235 be-! fore the Domain Board came into exist- ! ence. He had been of the opinion that! the formation of the Domain Board ■ was the finish so far as the Council! was concerned. He was staggered by j the proposal. A great many people J were living many miles from the beach and he doubted whether they would j visit it even once a year. He could; not agree to a rate, no matter how! small. Personally he had done his best to support Pohara Beach, but it was! unfortunate the place was so far away from so many ratepayers. He certain-! ly did not want to throw cold water I on the improvement work. He was I prepared to contribute personally. CAN MONEY BE ADVANCED? ! Councillor Manson would not like to | see a rate struck, because—well, be-1 cause it would be wrong. Why could the Council not let the Board have money in advance. The chairman: “I don't think we can i do that." Mr O. E. R. Page thanked the Council for the consideration given. The Board would meet the Council in every possible way. Councillor Sparrow thought it would be some considerable time with conditions in New Zealand and the world as they were, before the Domain Board could carry out all its intentions. COUNCILLOR FAVOURS RATE AS EQUITABLE At a later stage of the meeting Councillor Langford remarked that he had been the prime mover in seeking a * rate to assist the Domain Board. There was no doubt this was the equitable! way of raising the money and the burden would be exceedingly slight. Wal-' or was an essential requirement and this work could not be delayed. AM< AIU ro LAI "I was getting so tat I was afraid to eat." writes Miss E M G.. of Wellington • But starving did more harm than good Not till I tried Naturettes did • W'gin to feel well. To-day. I’m fit and >iu n «t ever ’* 17 davs’ treatment 1 h Money. Back Guarantee R tv Martin Chemist

The chairman said if it were in the form of a loan spread over, say ten years, it might be possible to assist Councillor Langford pointed out that camp fees at Nelson realised about £6OO. Itwould be a long time before they got enough revenue at Pohara, but there was a big future before the place. The Domain Board had no means such as the County or other such bodies had of raising money. Councillor J. W. Page said that Takaka business people contributed liberally to the Gala Day. That was why! Takaka business people did not figure with donations. In his opinion a rate was not quite fair, it came on the big ratepayer again. A small overdraft by the Council with the money paid back as it was raised appeared the best way to assist. BANK GUARANTEE Councillor Sparrow: “Could not, say, 20 people in Takaka guarantee the overdraft.” Councillor Langford: “Only the Board members individually could back an overdraft.” Councillor Walker: “The only way seems to be that the Domain Board j must proceed slowly. WATER NEEDED Councillor J. W. Page said the im- j ; mediate difficulty was in regard to water. They should not go slow in regard to that. Councillor Manson was of opinion that some arrangement more favourable to the Board might be possible, so far as securing water was concerned. Councillor Langford moved that a 1 -Bth of a penny rate be provided for. WANTED, A WAY TO HELP The chairman would like to help the Domain Board but the difficulty was to find a way of doing so. I Councillor Sparrow said it seemed a I funny thing that, say, 20 residents of | Takaka. could not guarantee the Domain Boards overdraft for £2OO or I £3OO. ' Councillor Walker did not look with favour on a guarantee. Councillor Manson added he would also be quite willing to give a donation. There v-s no seconder and the matter lapsed. The chairman said that in the meantime Councillor Langford might find some other way in which the Council could bo assisted.