ORAKEI VILLAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23718, 26 July 1940, Page 10

ORAKEI VILLAGE

" DREADFUL EYESORE" NEED FOR URGENT REMOVAL ACTION BY CITY COUNCIL The necessity for. immediate action to have "this dreadful eyesore or potential disease centre" removed was stressed by the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, when referring to the Orakei Maori Settlement in a special report presented to the Auckland City Council at a meeting yesterday afternoon. The Mayor said the question had constantly worried him over a long period and for many years had been considered bj the council. "Time and again it has been referred to the Government with the •object of producing a satisfactory solution, but finality has always been elusive," the Mayor said. Recently I arranged for an inspection of every house in the village and the report by the chief sanitary inspector was indeed alarming." The city solicitor had advised that neither of the provisions for closing 01 demolition orders was open to the council, because the property was Crown land, and the relevant provisions of the Health Act did not bind the Crown. Sir Ernest said he was satisfied that the process would be protracted if advantage were taken of the only other provision under which action was possible and there would be no guarantee even then of the desired outcome. "The matter is one which has been too long delayed," he said. The limit had been reached and action should be taken without further delay, the Mayor added. In view of the advice of the city solicitor and the chief sanitary inspector, it was questionable whether action could be taken under the Health Act with any hope of success. The matter was referred to a special committee to take appropriate action.