MOTUROA AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1929, Page 14

MOTUROA AFFAIRS

|)J>HIE FOR IMPROVEMENTS.

.PROTEST AGAINST OIL POLLUTION.

Mr. P. J. Bartholomew presided over a meeting of the Nganrotu Domain Board and the Aloturoa Ratepayers' Progressive Association on Saturday evening, when matters affecting the welfare of the Aloturoa district in general were the subjects of discussion. The primary discussion arose over the question of control of the beach. The opinion was expressed that the beach should be placed in the hands of a local committee. At a previous meeting of the Domain Board a deputation had been appointed to wait on the Borough Council with a view' to bringing this about, as there, was considerable dissatisfaction with the present arrangements for the control of the beach. Before the deputation had waited on Hie council the matter had been publicly ventilated by Or. Stainton, and the chairman expressed the opinion that no action should have been taken without the co-operation of the board's deputation.

Other members took tho view that Cr. Stainton had rendered the community good service, and had given the board, a good lead, and that the Domain Board should still be prepared to support his action in seeking to have the control of the beach placed in the hands of a local committee. The chairman stressed the fact that • in other parts of the borough seaside reserves were controlled by local committees, and he thought the came kind of arrangement should be made at Nga- 1 motu, and until the local residents took sufficient interest in looking after their own concerns in this respect they would never get what they considered, they were entitled to.

After a somewhat lengthy discussion it was agreed that the original deputation. consisting of Messrs. P. J, Bartholomew, A. Sanders, R. Glengary, W. Hunter and J. B. Howard, should wait upon the council and the harbour board with a request that the control of the beach bo placed in the hands of a committee of local residents. At the Progressive Association meeting a letter was received from the town clerk, in reply to representations made by the association, pointing out that all the available funds had been allocated, and that the matter of finishing work on Pioneer Road could not be undertaken until after the end of the present financial year.

The state of the beach and the water in tho bathing area, through discharges of oil from the Blenheim and No. 3 bores, was the subject of an emphatic protest by the meeting, which decided to bring the matter to the notice of the harbour board and the Borough Council. It was stated that in addition io the unpleasantness of the condition of the place and the menace to bathers and patrons of the beach, the amount of oil floating on the water was a ’grave menace to the wharves. One member stated that the substance floating about on Saturday morning wan about half an inch thick and covered an area of about six square chains. It was decided to support with a letter from the association the request of the petitioners for extra street lights on Pioneer Road.

Other matters to be brought to the notice of the council included the damage being done to Pioneer Road by the traffic of heavily-laden motor-lorries running to the port, and the speeding of motorists along the Breakwater Road. It was decided that the financial year of the association should end on December 31, and that the annual meeting be held on the third Saturday in February. Mr. A. J. Tunbridge was appointed honorary auditor. With a view to securing better representation on the Borough Council, a small committee was set up to interview local residents in order to arrange for the nomination of someone who would represent the Aloturoa end of the district on the next council.