A meeting between Port Macquarie Municipal Council and the State Planning Authority of NSW on a Pacific Drive high rise building proposal is to be held next week - behind closed doors.

The decision was taken by the full council when it sat last week to hear appeals against its land zoning measures.

When the council previously discussed the Pacific Drive application to construct a multi-storey building, the council chamber was packed with virtually no standing room.

Those who attended the meeting two weeks ago included objecting ratepayers and representatives of investment interests.

Many people connected with potential high rise developments in the town hope the council will be able to expedite its decision on the Pacific Drive application and then declare its precise policy on high rise development.

Baby Show

Sixty babies with their mothers and siblings faced the judges at the Quota Baby Show held last Saturday in the CWA Hall. Mark Robinson was awarded first prize as the champion baby boy. His girl counterpart was Nicole Fawcett.

Telephones for Pacific Drive

Port Macquarie residents living along Pacific Drive, who have been waiting for some time for home telephone connections, are expected to be linked up to the town's telephone network by February or March next year.

Senator McClelland said he had been told connections for a large number of outstanding Port Macquarie telephone applicants were dependent on cable relief projects in progress in the town.

He added he had been advised, because of the increasing demand for telephones, it had been necessary for the Postmaster's Department to recast earlier plans and install new cables of large capacity to cater for existing and potential applicants.

Cable extension was at present proceeding along Pacific Drive. It had also been found practicable to carry out a re-arrangement of existing cable along Cathie Road.

Hydrotherapy Pool Donation

Port Macquarie High School's sixth form class presented a cheque for $662 to the Port Macquarie Apex Club last week for the new hydrotherapy pool at the hospital.

The money was raised when the sixth form held the mayor C.C. Adams to ransom. The students also visited the pool to see first-hand what their donation means. The pool is being provided as a project by the Apex Club.

Conservation Deputation

The newly-formed Port Macquarie Conservation Society is to send a deputation to meet the town's mayor and aldermen within minutes of the start next Tuesday of the municipal council's 'behind closed doors' meeting with the State Planning Authority on the contentious high rise planning problem.

At Tuesday's night's meeting of the council, the town clerk, Mr W.G. Alcock, said he had received a letter a few hours before requesting an urgent meeting between the aldermen and the society.

After a debate on the matter, the council agreed to see the deputation on the basis their meeting would only last 10 minutes and the deputation's case was limited to one speaker.

The conservation society is to stand against pollution of the Hastings District through high rise building development and to protect the foreshores and waterways against improper use leading to their possible destruction.

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