LAKE KARAPIRO

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 77, Issue 6974, 6 October 1948, Page 3

LAKE KARAPIRO

QUESTION OF CONTROL DOMAIN BOARD FORMED. Four years after the first conference was held, it was decided at a meeting of representatives of the Cambridge Borough Council, Matamata County Council and Leamington Town Board jn Cambridge to form a domain board to control the, Karapiro Lake reserve. Although an important step forward has been made, there are still difficulties ahead. The Matamata County Council will not support the scheme as it stands at present, contending that the project should be more comprehensive than the 40 acres near the dam. While agreeing with the county viewpoint, the borough and town board representatives felt that the board should be formed, and when a vote was taken the motion was carried without dissent, although the three Matamata delegates did not vote. The meeting was one which had been adjourned from August 12th, to enable information concerning the possibility of extending the scheme to be obtained. At the earlier meeting a resolution had been adopted to the effect that while, a domain board should control the 40 acres near the dam, it was the opinion that other areas further upstream should also come under the board’s control, and the Government be asked to include it in the present proposal. Disappointment at Reply Disappointment was expressed, particularly by the Matamata County representatives, at the reply from the Government, which stated that no change in the proposals could be made at present. If the domain board was formed and the development of the area at the dam proved successful, then additions could be made to the domain board’s territory. Mr K. L. Wilkinson, who presided, said the time had arrived when the issue was clear cut and it was a matter of deciding whether a board be formed. Mr Looker moved that a domain board be set up to control the area of 40 acres known as Suckling’s. This was seconded by Mr N. R. Souter, and was carried. The meeting decided on the constitution of the board as suggested by Mr Wilkinson, the representation being: Cambridge Borough, two members; Matamata County, two members; Leamington Town Board, one, member; Waipa County, one member; Government Department, one member; Cambridge Domain Board, one member; Leamington Domain Board, one member. When Mr Wilkinson suggested a representative of the sports bodies on the board, it was pointed out that the constitution allowed for local body representation only. A resolution was adopted unanimously that the meeting express to the Minister keen disappointment at the additional areas not being included to make a comprehensive scheme, which was the only way of obtaining united action among the local bodies.