LAND NOT AVAILABLE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 78, Issue 7017, 9 February 1949, Page 6

LAND NOT AVAILABLE

PROPOSED SITE FOR MATERNITY HOSPITAL WAIKATO HOSPITAL BOARD’S EFFORTS NULLIFIED At its meeting in December last, the Waikato Hospital Board decided to refer to the Te Awamutu Borough Council a copy of a letter from the Director-General of Health (Dr T. R. Ritchie), suggesting that, as the owner of the site proposed to be utilised as a site for a public hospital would not sell, negotiations should be resumed with the object of acquiring from the council certain gift land in Te Awamutu for maternity hospital purposes. It was pointed out by the board that the matter was one for any action that the council might take in regard to obtaining land for a hospital in Te Awamutu. At a meeting in Hamilton on Monday last, the board received a reply from the Te Awamutu Borough Council stating that the council can see no reason to* alter its previous decision; namely that the land would be handed over to the Waikato Hospital Board when ' the council had a definite assurance that it would be used for general hospital purposes. Mr F. L. Onion and Mr A. E. Bryant, Te Awamutu representatives on the .board, affirmed that there was nothing further the board could do about the matter other than to refer it to the committee which was set up in Te Awamutu some time ago to deal with the hospital question. It was thought by Mr Onion that steps might be taken to acquire an alternative site. He emphasised that some such action would have to be taken shortly or “Te Awamutu would never have a maternity hospital.” The Mayor of Te Awamutu (Mr G. Spinley) and Mr Onion are members of the above-mentioned hospital committee. It was resolved by tjie board that the matter be left in the hands of the two Te Awamutu members, who would act in conjunction with the local committee.