H—2B

Waihi Beach and Waihi Borough therefore are co-terminous solely because of this connecting road. A legal difficulty arises in that legislation provides that no town district shall be created out of the district of an existing borough. There are also some serious financial problems involving Waihi Beach which must be solved before action can be taken to constitute a Waihi Beach Town District. These matters are the subject of investigation by the Commission at the present time. Two small local authorities adjacent to Auckland have petitioned for the constitution of their areas as boroughs. These are the Mount Wellington Road District and Glen Eden Town District. The Commission has made certain investigations into these matters, but considers that the future of these districts is so closely bound up with the future local government of the Auckland metropolitan area that it does not propose to take action pending a full inquiry into the Auckland metropolitan problem. IX. OTHER ACTIVITIES (a) Pokeno. —Certain residents of Pokeno petitioned praying that the district be created a town district. After an inspection of the area and investigations of financial and other matters, the Commission decided that the smallness of the population and the relative smallness of the rateable value did not warrant the constitution of a town district, and the petitioners were advised accordingly. ($) A proposal that Leeston Town District should be absorbed by the Ellesmere County, emanating from some residents in Leeston, was fully investigated by the Commission. It was decided, however, that, pending a thorough review of county government, no action should be taken. (c) Representations were made that, since certain areas of the Tinwald Town District were becoming highly urbanized and a portion of the town district was likely to be used for industrial purposes by industrial concerns in the Ashburton Borough, the urbanized or potentially urbanized portion of the Tinwald Town District should be absorbed by Ashburton Borough, and the remainder of the town district revert to the Ashburton County. The Commission has been in communication with the local authorities concerned, and is informed that conferences between the various local authorities are at present being held. Action has been delayed pending information as to the result of these conferences. (d) A petition was received from certain residents of the Levels County adjacent to the Timaru Borough praying that the area should be included in the Timaru Borough. After having visited the area, the Commission conferred with representatives of the Timaru Borough and the Levels County. It was indicated that substantial housing developments were likely to take place in the near future, and that in all probability residential development in the Timaru region would be largely in the county area. The two local authorities agreed to co-operate in redrawing the boundaries of the Borough of Timaru. The borough has indicated that it desires to incorporate in the borough those lands likely to be used for residential purposes within the next ten years. Investigations by the local authorities concerned are still proceeding, and when the specific proposals from the two local authorities come to hand the Commission will undertake a public inquiry to determine the new boundaries of Timaru. X. FUTURE WORK As giving some indication of the work before the Commission, fixtures have been made which will engage the Commission until late November, 1948. No fixtures have been made for 1949 as yet, but already quite a number of proposals have been

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