PARK FOR THE FUTURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21295, 23 September 1932, Page 12

PARK FOR THE FUTURE

I LAKE WAIATARUA AREA COST POSSIBLY £75,000 USEFUL WORK DONE 0 _lho work so far dono for tlio reclamaj. tion of Lake Waiatnmti and tlio plans for Is n 1 tiriiato development as ;t, sports 0 ground and recreation area wero explained ir % tho city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, in an >. address at the close of tho City Council's ib meeting last evening. 1. Mr. Tyler, who illustrated his remarks )t with maps, diagrams and samples of d material from the lako bed, gavo a history of tho stops by which the lako bed and ». tho land surrounding it wero vested in the t City Council. The former Domain Board, 0 ho said, raised a loan in 1918 and conj structed a tunnel by which it was possible to drain tho surface water of tho lako, f which was 80ft. above sea level, into the Hobson Bay watershed. Tho council, about c three years ago, had extended tho tunnel f and allowed the water to drain away, j Much work had been dono by relief j 1 labour in digging 4J miles of ditches and as a result it was now possiblo for a man 1 to walk all over tho area. I Explaining a plan of tho proposed ulti- . mato layout, Mr. Tyler said tho area availt ablo was 188 acres, equal in sizo to the > Auckland Domain. Tho plan provided for a ; largo oval at tho western end containing I nine Rugby football grounds and suri rounded by trees, three Association foot- " ball grounds adjoining, two other grounds, four hockey grounds at tho eastern end, i and tennis courts and croquet lawns in i gullies on the northern side. Tho cost was difficult to estimate, as tho , work would occupy a long period of years, but at present prices it would be approximately £75,000, including buildings and everything except tho improvement of the drive, miles long, surrounding tho park. This would cost about £12,000. Mr. Pyler considered that tho development should bo gradual, according to the progress of the environment. Draining and tree-plant-ing could bo carried on now in preparation for tho other work. At tho close of the address the Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, remarked that very many years Would elapso before games were played on tho area. He felt sure that if the publio had realised tho heavy cost involved the draining of tho lako would never havo been sanctioned. But for relief labour being available it would have been absolutely futile for the council to spend any money on a project so far ahoad of the present population of Auckland. However, the operations to dalo had been all to the good.