DATE: |
18
July 2008 |
TITLE: |
Bypass Opening:
A 27-year Wait says Far North Mayor |
The fact that 27 years
had passed before anything significant had been done to protect the
Stone Store Basin at Kerikeri was testament to how ineffective local
government had been in Northland, current Far North Mayor Wayne Brown
said today.
"A lot of that is down to the split and widely misunderstood roles
of local and regional government," he said at the official opening
of the Kerikeri Heritage Bypass.
The regional body in Whangarei had been "shockingly inactive"
in meeting its responsibilities for catchment management and local councils
in the Far North had been guilty of not raising the issue.
The lesson had not been learnt from the devastating floods in 1981 which
had threatened to sweep the historic buildings in the Stone Store Basin
away. Housing and commercial areas had since been developed on land
that was a metre deep in water in 1981.
"Even now, no coherent catchment management plan exists for most
of our rivers. This is a basic reason why my council is today insisting
on moving to become a unitary authority such as that enjoyed by the
lucky folk of Gisborne," Mayor Brown said.
There had been a "spotty" history of misadventures leading
finally to the development of a plan to construct a bypass to help protect
the historic Stone Store Basin from flooding. Nevertheless the result
had been a good one
"I thank the Prime Minister for her involvement or we might never
have got to the end of it," he said.
"One of the first messages I received after becoming Mayor was
from the Prime Minister asking me to get on with the pedestrian access.
I was surprised it had not been sorted out, but one meeting with the
New Zealand Historic Places Trust showed why. They were unable to agree
on what sort of bridge or where to put it after only 27 years.
"Now we finally have a bypass my council looks forward to the Stone
Store Basin being a lively place with the store selling ice creams,
wine and all the things that gave the early settlers a full life with
traders and customers. We won't let it be just a museum.
"History didn't start in 1820 or in the 1300s when Maori left Raiatea
-nor did it end in the 1860s or in 1900. History started eons ago and
in spite of global warning it will continue for eons into the future.
Today is part of that," he said.
For further information please contact:-
Rick
McCall
Communications Officer
Far North District Council
0800 920 029
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Page created/updated: 23 July, 2008
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