ANDERSON’S BAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26957, 17 December 1948, Page 6

ANDERSON’S BAY

RECLAMATION WORK BOARD’S DECISION The question of the Anderson’s Bay Inlet was discussed further at the monthly meeting of the Otago Harbour Board last night, when a letter was received from the Anderson’s Bay Ratepayers’ Association stating that the board had not replied to specific clauses set out in a previous communication from the association. It asked the board wether it 'would immediately vest the title of 163 acres of the area in the Dunedin City Council. The chairman, Mr W. R. Clarke, said that as had been set out in a letter to the association in 1947. the board was prepared to grant this request, subject to certain conditions. “So far as I know, there has been no alteration in the policy of the board,” Mr Clarke said. As the result of a meeting of representatives of the board, the council;-and the association, the board adopted the proposal, which in the first place had been drawn up by the association. The board had played its part, said the chairman. It had accepted the proposals brought down by a special committee, and was prepared to vest 163 acres in the council. An additional conditional clause had been added, he said, to the effect that if it vested this land in the council the board would be safeguarded against any claim by the council for an area on the southern endowment. “ The bbard has carried out its contract,” he said. “ The conditions were quite reasonable. It is for them to make the next move.” Mr A. Mcßae said there appeared to be considerable misunderstanding among the people about the whole matter. It was desirable that the blame should be placed where it was due.

The board had never considered, let alone decided, then, or at any time, to reclaim the whoie inlet, Mr Clarke said. The board had always been against such a proposal, and it was not going to be guided in its decisions by someone from outside. Mr F. E. Tyson remarked that if they went on filling in and filling in they would find in a very few years they would have, no harbour entrance at all. Ever since he had been connected with the board, engineer after engineer had been against reclamation.

Mr Tyson moved that a copy of the letter from the board to the association stating its agreement to vest 163 acres in the council be sent to the association and also a further copy to the City Council. The motion was carried.