Matamata County Council Desires Cost of Work

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIV, Issue 6075, 11 July 1947, Page 5

Matamata County Council Desires Cost of Work

EABAPJKO LAKE HIATUS

The position into which the proposal to make a playground for the IVaikato around Lalce Karapiro had •drifted was stressed at the monthly meeting of the Matamata County 'Council yesterday. The chairman (Cr. E. D. White) emphasised that when the committee set up by Cabinet had completed its. report, and the surveys around the lake were nearly completed, it was naturally expected that something would be done by the committee to give some estimate of the cost of carrying out some of the proposed works. These costs should be tabulated and a statement made as to the lump sum to be contributed by the •Government. At that point the Domain Board would take over. s If the hoard took over the area in its present barrent state it would be in an 'lmpossible position. Mr M. E. Fitzgerald (engineer) remarked that the report of the Stephen’s Committee. appeared to be very Impressive, but in reality there was . no alteration in principle of the plan hatched by the council in that room. That, in effect, was also that the committee had done. Mr Stephens knew more about local bodies than any man in New Zealand, Mr Grant of the Public Works Department and the •agricultural representative on the ■committee were similarly fitted regarding their own jobs to sit on the committee, and with such representation it was surely to be , expected the job of the committee was not simply to confirm the speaker’s own report, but to bring down concrete proposals with some estimate of costs. He had suggested that to the tee, but the suggestion had been received with a smile. The report had been made and that was the end of it.

The chairman suggested that when the council’s delegates were in Wellington next week they should endeavour to push the matter along. If a Domain Trust Board was appointed and there was no funds then nothing would be done.

A member: The area would grow blackberries. The engineer illustrated his comment by stating that one proposal he would make was for a new road to be made along the edge of the lake from

Karapiro on the Maungatautari side. If the road was built for 10 miles, the cost might be £IO,OOO. On the other side of the balance sheet such a road would enable the cutting-up of the long narrow farms which would adjoin the lake and which would be valuable when developed as now they were the backs of the properties. Then there would be a vast number of quarter-acre sections which would lie to the sun and be very valuable. Such a proposition was worth exploring.

The council agreed to authorise its delegates to investigate the position along the lines indicated when in Wellington.