ACCESS TO CAROLINE RAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18502, 25 February 1930, Page 10

ACCESS TO CAROLINE RAY.

COUNCIL AND RAILWAY DEPARTMENT. DEFINITE AGREEMENT REACHED. In 1927, an agreement was drawn up between the then Council and the Railway Department in respect to certain land on the foreshore which might be required in the event of the Council deciding to widen Stafford Street North. Had the agreement been carried into effect, the citizens would have been denied access to Caroline Bay. Negotiations have since been in progress. and at last night’s meeting of the Timaru Borough Council the Mayor (Mr W. Angiand) stated that on December 23rd, 1929, an agreement made by a former Council with the Railway Department came before them, which the Council desired him to sign. He refused to do this, as there was no provision made in the agreement for access to Caroline Bay on the foreshore. He had asked the Council to hold the matter over, and this had been agreed to. Now he was pleased to state that the Railway Department had. after several interviews which he had had with them in Wellington, agreed to add a further clause to the agreement giving access to Caroline Bay, and agreeing to erect over and across the railway line, bridges or footways which the Corporation should require from time to time. The Mayor said that he considered this was good business, for the citizens of Timaru would now have security of access to Caroline Bay for all time.

The additional clause agreed to was as follows: “In consideration of the premises, the Minister agrees to allow the Corporation to retain and keep in its present position over the said railway line, the present footbridge which gives access to Caroline Bay from Stafford Street, until such time as the land on which the said bridge is situated is required by the Department for railway purposes; and further, that the Minister agrees, on application, to erect over and across the said railway line, such other bridges or footways as may be considered necessary by the corporation to give access to Caroline Bay from Stafford Street, whether such bridges or footways shall require to be built either wholly or partly on railway land, provided that such bridges or footways shall be erected at the cost of the. Corporation in manner and position to be agreed upon.” In reply to a question by Councillor G. Benstead, the Mayor said that everything was in order. Councillor W. li. Hunt said that he thought the citizens owed Mayor a deep debt of gratitude for the action he had taken in the matter. It* would j have been a very serious matter if av. I cess to the Bay had been cut off altogether. He was particularly pleased to hear the announcement the Mayor had made. It was practically priceless so Tar as the citizens were concerned, for now they could have access to the foreshore for all time. Councillor I'. B. Hawkey endorsed the remarks made by Councillor Hunt, and congratulated the Mayor on the successful c ..tcome of his endeavours. In years to come the citizens would look back and thank the present Mayor for the stand he had taken.