TE ARO RECLAMATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 7947, 2 December 1886, Page 4

TE ARO RECLAMATION.

A special meeting of the City Council was held Tuesday night for the purpose of con. sidering the report of the Committee appointed to revise the agreement to be made between the City Council and the Harbor Board on the subject of the Te Aro Reclametion. Present—The Mayor, and Councillors Richardson, Danks, Petherick, Brandon, Quick, Young, Smith, Edwards, McKenzie. Councillor Quick (Chairman of the Committee) formally moved the adoption of the report and agreement. The agreement had, he said, been carefully considered, and one or two alterations made, the principal of which was that preventing the Harbor Board from acquiring endowments at the Council’s expense. He would like to be clearly understood to this extent, that those in the Council who had advocated the Harbor Board’s side of the question had always drawn a distinct line between their duties in regard to the harbor and in regard to the citizens, inasmuch as they had always considered it advantageous that the harbor should be looked upon as a valuable asset to Wellington, and that they should treat it as a sacred matter, refusing in the slightest degree to injure it—they felt it their duty to protest against any alteration of the contract which would give those on the other side an opportunity of saying that they were handing over to the Board a portion of the Council’s endowment, which the Board might acquire by reclaiming. The Committee bad done their best in the interests of the citizens. Councillor Brandon seconded the motion.

A. discussion ensued as to the manner in which the report should be considered, Councillor Petherick suggesting that the clauses should be taken seriatim ; and remarking that he knew, from information he had received, that there would be opposition to some of the clauses. The clauses of the agreement were accordingly taken seriatim. Clause 6—The right is hereby reserved to the Corporation from time to time to lease to the Star Boating Club and to the Web Ungton Rowing Club, or any other rowing club, for auy terms not exceeding 21 years, and at such rents as may be agreed upon between the Corporation and such leasees, sites for boatsheds at the junction of the said 12-foot Corporation line with the said 8-foot Marine Engineer's line at the foot of Cuba street (produced), not exceeding a distance of 250 ft along the said 12-foot line, and in the direction of the Queen’s Wharf by 60ft to seaward of it, and to give such clubs, or any of them, the right within the above .limits to erect boathouses on piles driven into the bed of the harbor, or to reclaim and erect boat-houses on such reclamation, and also to give to such Clubs or any of them the right of laying (either within or without the aforesaid limits) skids and other means of launching boats, and also any right of access to and departure from such boathouses over any parts of the harbor of Wellington vested in the Corporation as for the time being are covered with water, and over such water. Councillor Petherick understood that this would be the main point of difference between the Board and the Council, and he asked Councillors, therefore, to think seriously before they adopted a clause which would probably have the effect of undoing all they had done. These boating sheds would take up 250 ft of the line of staging from the Board in a valuable position. If they were placed on the eastward side of Cuba-street it would be different. He might say that several members of the Board would, if necessary, be prepared to go to Parliament on this question. The Government, he believed, also was in favor of assisting the Harbor Board rather than ; the Council, and the Board would probably

have the best of it if they did go to Parliament. He moved that the clause be eo altered as to pat the boatsheds on the east aide of Cuba-street. Councillor Smith seconded this amendment, and agreed with Councillor Petherick, Councillor Brandon supported the clause. Many citizens, he said, were members of rowing clubs, and if these sheds were removed further south the result would be to spoil boating altogether. He did not think Councillor Petherick was right in expressing the opinions of members of the Harbor Board in this way.

Councillor Richardson suggested that Councillor Petherick, like many another “inspired” speaker, was not speaking what was actually correct. He refused to believe that the Cabinet was conspiring against the citizens, as was suggested. There were frequent cries now-a-days for recreation grounds, and there was no better recreation ground than the harbor. It was to the true interests of the city to foster the boating pastime. Tne Mayor expressed an opinion that it was unfair for the Council to tie this 250 feet up. He would not now make any remark on the concession made by the Council, It was a great concession, and all he could say was that he hoped events would justify it. But the Council, having made a concession, should not, he thought, try to frustrate the intention of the Board in this way. He did not consider the boatsheds would be out of the way beyond Cubastreet.

Councillor Young said a heavy north-west wind would prevent the boats being launched from that spot. The Mayor asked whether it would not, then, be too rough for pulling. .Councillor Young said it might not. The Harbor Board, he said, only asked originally for room to swing their vessels. Now, finding they had carried their first proposition, they appeared to think they could do as they liked. Councillor Quick said the recreation of the pick of the young men of Wellington should be considered. There were other considerations beside those of pounds shillings and pence to be looked at in this matter. He hoped the clause would be adopted, at any rate until some batter one was shown by the Board.

Councillor Edwards supported the clause, understanding that this was the only sice that would suit the clubs.

Councillor McKenzie expressed an opinion that the views of the Cabinet had been unfairly put. Sir Robert Stout had always shown himself ready to do anything for Wellington that was shown to be a necessary work. With regard to the Councillor McKenzie suggested that a site might be obtained (Councillor Richardson : At Ngahaurauga.) No, not so far as that—say at Pipitea. (Councillor Quick ; Petone.) That would be better perhaps than the troubled waters of Te Aro. On a division on the amendment the voting was equal. Ayes 6 The Mayor, Councillors Danks, Smith, Petheriok, and McKenzie ; noes Councillors Richardson, Brandon, Young, Quick, and Edwards, The Mayor remarked that Councillors Coombe and Williams,, he believed, would support suoh au amendment as that of Councillor Petheriok, and he should therefore give his casting vote in favor of it. The amendment was therefore carried. Qis Worship said he would support a proposal to strike out the whole clause, in order that the matter might farther be considered. Councillor Brandon said it was evident that the minority must take what they could get, and they would therefore take the clause as it was. Clause 7. The Harbor Board shall erect a timber quay or atagiug from the Queen's Wharf as far as the sites in respect of which the Corporation has the right, as beforementioned, of granting leases to boating clubs, such quay or staging to be erected along the sea-wall of the reclamation, and so soon as the reclamation is completed as far as the eastern side of Taranaki-street, the Harbor Board shall construct a jetty extending out from Taranaki-street, such quay or staging and jetty to be respectively constructed according to plans and specifications to be approved by the City Council. Should the Harbor Board create any tenancies over, and receive rent for, any parts of the said quay or staging, one- part of the rent received shall be paid over by the Harbor Board to the Corporation. [The Harbor Board shall not create any tenancies over, or receive any rent for any part of the said quay or staging.] Councillor McKenzie moved to insert a proviso that the cost of the jetty should hot be less than £II,OOO. Councillor Petheriok said it was intended by the Board to expend from £II,OOO to £13,000 as soon *as the • approaches were made by the Council to the Taranaki-street line. :

The Mayor thought the Council was amply protected. The amendment was negatived, Councillor Quick moved to strike out the word “part,” and substitute “one half.” This was agreed to, and the clause was adopted,* Clause 8. The Harbor Board may reclaim the inner space between the inner south tee and the agreed line for a site for a Queen’s bond, Harbor Board offices, and other buildings to be used for the purposes of the Board on purchasing from the Corporation at the price of £ so much of the land covered with water and comprised in snob space as is now vested in the Corporation. Councillor Danks moved an amendment that the Board should be permitted to lease the land. This lapsed for want of a seconder. The Mayor suggested that it would be better to insert in the clause the words “at a price to be fixed by the City Valuer,” and moved accordingly. Councillor Brandon suggested that the price should be fixed at £1 per square foot. Councillor McKenzie moved that the matter be settled by arbitration. Tqe Mayor’s amendment was carried, and the clause thus amended agreed to. The remaining clauses were agreed to. The Mayor suggested that some provision should be made with respect to payment of costs of the bill. Councillor Petherick moved, That eaoh corporate body pay pro rata. The Mayor moved that each body should pay its own costs. The Council, he pointed out, had its lawyer town clerk, and the expense would be very little. Councillor Richardson suggested that the Board should really boar the costs. Councillor Quick said it was not a matter to c&vil about. The fees for a private Bill, he believed, were only about £25 or £SO at the outside.

The Mayor’s proposition was adopted, and embodied in the agreement. The report as a whole was then adopted, and the meeting terminated.