“IGNORED BY COUNCIL”

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1934, Page 9

“IGNORED BY COUNCIL”

NGAMOTU BEACH SOCIETY QUESTION OF FUTURE CONTROL. INVITATION THAT CAME LATE. REVIEW BY SOCIETY’S ACTIVITIES. Complaint that the society had been ignored by the New Plymouth Borough Council in negotiations that had taken place regarding the future control of the beach was made at a meeting of the Ngamotu Beautifying and Beach Improvement Society held at the palladium last night. A recommendation of the finance committee approved by the council and published had invited certain prominent citizens and representatives of the Ngamotu Seaside Resorts Company to an informal conference with the object of assisting the council to decide the personnel of the proposed new committee of control, said the secretary of the society, Mr. G. E. Roper. That conference had been held on October 8, and it was not until the next day that the council posted a letter inviting the society to take part in the discussions. Mr. Roper contended that as members of the society had always taken an active interest in the beach and had raised money for improvements it should have been notified earlier of the discussions.

The letter referred to by Mr. Roper stated that it was proposed to delegate control of the harbour reserve and beach to a committee, the council having obtained from the harbour board a license to control the area. Before appointing a committee, however, the council desired to make itself conversant with the present position of the beach and the possibilities of the future. Asking the society to appoint three representatives to confer with the finance committee tonight, the council said the object of the conference would be a general discussion on all matters relating to the beach, including suggestions for the future. “To remove the misunderstanding that seems to be prevalent, I am directed to inform you that the council so far has not appointed the new beach committee nor has the personnel of that committee been selected,” concluded the town clerk (Mr. F. T. Bellringer). Mr. Roper recalled that some years ago Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths, then Mayor of New Plymouth, convened a public meeting at which the Ngamotu Beautifying and Beach Improvement Society was formed. As there were already in existence the Ngamotu Seaside Resorts Company and the seaside committee the Mayor’s action was inexplicable. However, the committee >vas appointed and approved by the council and subsequently carried out improvements to the best of its ability, but there arrived a time when no-one seemed to have control of the beach. IMPROVEMENTS EFFECTED. Mr. Roper reviewed the improvements made by the society. There included the ploughing, levelling and grassing of the area west of "the palladium and the clearing of lupins from the picnic reserve, the planting of over 400 trees — unfortunately a number of which had been killed by a strong southerly gale—the erection of tables for picnickers, formation of a children’s playground, the erection of bridges at the Bayly Road entrance to the beach and across the Onga Onga," the installation of boilers for the supply of free hot water to visitors on Sundays and picnic days, the provision of fencing and seating at the Pioneer Road entrance, and the erection of a temporary building for women’s conveniences, the present permanent ones being inadequate.

Since purchasing a lorry the society had brought 648 yards of material to the beach, mostly sandstone for the roads and clay for spreading over the sand. Roads had been formed to the bridge at the western end and eastwards to the end of the levelled ground. The work of forming footpaths and covering them with sandstone was not quite completed. The ground on the front and sides of the palladium had been filled in and levelled but the filling was being washed away by storm-water from the roof. After referring to the popularity of the beach with South Taranaki picnic parties, Mr. Roper said that the improvements had been carried out by members of the society with the assistance of relief workers. In this connection credit was due to the chairman, Mr. J. Nesbit, for the time he had spent in supervision. Contemplated improvements included the modernising of sanitary arrangements on the beach, the laying of two tennis courts, better dressing-shed accommodation, shelter for the picnic reserves, a bandstand, apparatus for the children’s playground, a diving board on a raft for bathers and a notice board for the times of departure of excursion trains.

Realising that the approval and cooperation of the harbour board was necessary, the society had appointed a committee to consult the board on such various matters. Mr. Roper stressed the value of co-operation with the rowing club for the New Year’s Day picnic and hoped that whatever form beach control was to take facilities would be granted for the continuation of that co-operation.

The society, which had a membership of between 30 and 40, had collected money for expenditure on beach improvements and at present it had a bank balance of £54 6s. The society had done its best for the beach and he considered the least the council might have done was to notify the society earlier of the discussions With the finance committee of the council.

Messrs Nesbit, Roper and H. Sanders were appointed to represent the society at the discussion with the finance committee to-night. They will report to a meeting of the society to be held on Saturday night. Mr. Sanders contended that, apart from the council's nominees-on the new committee of control, the public, as in the past, should have the right to say who the members should be. Present at the meeting were Messrs. J. Nesbit (chairman), J. Bartholomew, H. Sanders, F. Healy, R. Johns, W. Manu, W. McKay, R. Johns, G. E. Roper (secretary), and Mesdames J. Nesbit, R. Johns, W. McKay and F. Healy.