REGIONAL AREAS

Southland Times, Issue 21193, 20 September 1930, Page 8

REGIONAL AREAS

QUEENSTOWN’S POSITION

PROPOSED INCLUSION IN OTAGO

INVERCARGILL PROTEST

“That this conference emphatically protests to the Town Planning Board against a reopening of the question of the regional planning boundaries, as all public bodies were given an opportunity to give evidence at-the inquiry and the boundar-

ies were decided on the evidence given; that the board be reminded that in response to a question at the inquiry, the Director of Town Planning stated that no further opportunity would be afforded to the public bodies to plead their case; and that the board be informed that, if the Dunedin public bodies are permitted to send deputations to the local bodies concerned, the Lake County Council and the Queenstown Borough Council, the Invercargill Public Bodies would claim

the right to do likewise.” The above resolution was unanimously carried yesterday afternoon by a conference of representatives of - the Invercargill City Planning Committee, the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce, the Southland League and the Bluff Harbour Board.

The following delegates attended the conference which was called for the purpose of considering the attempt made by public bodies in Dunedin to have Queenstown and a portion of the Lake County included in the Otago regional planning area: His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. D. Campbell) and Messrs F. M. Corkill, H. F. Drewe, L. Webb and G. St. V. Keddell (representing the Invercargill City Town Planning Committee) ; Messrs A. H. Mackrell and A. le H. Hoyles (Invercargill Chamber of Commerce) ; Messrs C. S. Longuet, W. B. Dixon, H. F. Drewe, W. Hinchey and J. S. Dick (Southland League). Messrs W. B. Dixon and H. C. Gimblett (Bluff Harbour Board). The Invercargill Town Clerk (Mr C. L. Grange) was also present. The Mayor, who was voted to the chair, said that the conference had been convened in response to a letter received from Mr H. F. Drewe, who had drawn attention to a paragraph appearing in a recent issue of the Southland Tinies as to the stand being taken in Dundein regarding the boundaries question. His Worhsip then read to the delegates the paragraph in question which ran as follows:— A conference was held at Dunedin recently between representatives of the City Council, Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers’ Association, Otago Expansion League and Otago Harbour Board regarding the proposal of the Town Planning Board in Wellington to eliminate part of the Otago provincial district and transfer it to the Southland district, telegraphs our Dunedin correspondent. The conference agreed that a deputation' representing the various bodies should wait upon the local authorities intarcsted and lay before them the position as it appears to the Dunedin bodies. It is also understood that a depu-. tation will wait on the Lake County Council within the next few days. Continuing, the chairman emphasized that Dunedin’s attitude was a serious one from the point of view of Southland, and it had wisely been decided to hold a meeting to discuss the matter openly and frankly. The Queenstown Borough Council and the Lake County Council had both passed resolutions favouring inclusion in the province of Southland of the particular area in question. The speaker considered that every effort should be made in these parts to combat the Dunedin attempts in including the area in Otago. There was certainly some opposition ventilated in the Queenstown and Lake Councils concerned, but it had not proved sufficiently strong to carry any resolution so far as Otago was concerned. The local bodies had all approved of the provisional plan submitted by the Town Planning Committee, and it was un-, derstopd that Mr Mawson, the director, when asked if any body would possess a further opportunity of urging its cause, had replied in the negative. Mr Drewe said that Otago really intended urging the two bodies concerned to rescind their resolutions and then to inform the Town Planning Board accordingly. He thought the reojxming of tne matter should be protested against. The chairman considered it advisable to obtain the bodies’ consent in writing as, at present, the advice received of the decision at which they had arrived was unofficial. Mr Hoyles’ said he thought the wiser course would be to inform the Town Planning Board that any reopening was objected to, and in this step Mr Hinchey concurred.

Mr Drewe reiterated that the board should be reminded that Mr Mawson had given an assurance to Mr Poppelwell that no committees would be permitted a further opportunity of urging their case. It was understood that all the local bodies had been asked to express, at the time, their opinions concerning the provisional boundaries. The chairman said that the Invercargill City Council had approved of the suggested boundaries.

Mr Mackrell emphasized that the protest should be an emphatic one, as if Otago succeeded in its endeavours, the, alteration would have very far-reaching effects. After further discussion the resolution mentioned above was then moved by Mr Drewe and carried unanimously. It was decided to forward a copy of the protest to the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, chairman of the Town Planning Board.