Council makes urgent appeal

ON May 18, 1973, The Fiji Times reported that a Suva City councilor had made an urgent appeal for sporting and public bodies to respect notices about parks and gardens.

Mohammed Khan was also the chairman of the council’s park and gardens committee, and he was concerned at the growing neglect sporting bodies, in particular, paid to council notices.

“Play at all parks should be barred when a no-playing notice was posted, and gardens, at any time, were not for use as playing fields,” he said.

Mr Khan said on Tuesday of that week, members of the city council — including the then mayor Peter Allan and the city engineer Mike Ballentyne — went on an inspection tour of the roads, parks and gardens.

“Albert Park had play prohibited notices posted up when we arrived, but these notices seemed to have received little respect by the soccer, hockey and rugby fraternity,”

Mr Khan said. “Even the presence of the mayor, whom several of those using the fields recognised, did not deter them.”

Mr Khan added that the Botanical Gardens — one of the most popular tourist attractions in Suva — was being regularly used by several rugby clubs and a karate group.

“The only area in the gardens allocated for sports is the basketball courts.” The parks committee felt those responsible should know better and realise they were breaking the city council’s regulations.

“In an effort to improve the present standards of parks and gardens, we request the public and sporting bodies to abide by the proper regulation, even though conditions in Suva are not the most favourable.”

He also sympathised with organisations because of the shortage of playing fields.

The council was trying to remedy this.

He said as a last resort, the committee would call in the police to enforce the regulations.