|
The leader of the "Save Sandy Bay" campaign and a Cape Times
reporter were involved in an incident with a bulldozer driver when
they were making an inspection of the area yesterday.
Mr. Bill Mitchell, the developer, told the Cape Times last night
that Mr. Ravenscroft had no permission to take anybody on to the site
and that charges of trespassing an obstruction had been laid.
However, Mr. Ravenscroft said yesterday that he had got permission
from Mr. Mitchell earlier in the day to go on to the site, and he had
presumed he could take other people with him.
|
The pure white crescent of sand
in the foreground center is Sandy Bay.
Parking is out of the frame on left; the only
access is by walking along the beach.
|
|
The reporter, who had a camera, was accompanying Mr. Ravenscroft
and a party that included a geologist and an ornithologist on an
inspection of the area.
They heard the sound of a bulldozer and, as Mr. Ravenscroft believed
it could be illegal for anybody to be bulldozing the area before final
plans had been passed, the party went to investigate.After gesturing
at him to stop, the bulldozer driver, who refused to give his name,
leapt from the bulldozer and rushed at the reporter. Both landed in a
bush and the bulldozer driver attempted unsuccessfully to grab the
reporter's camera.
At that point, Mr. Ravenscroft intervened, separating the two men. The
reporter kept his camera and the pictures it contained, but his camera
had been damaged. After Mr. Ravenscroft and the bulldozer driver had
separated, the driver resumed his work.
Mr. Ravenscroft said afterwards that he suspected the road-making was
illegal because final plans for the development had not been passed.
Mrs. Ravenscroft, Mr. Peter Ravenscroft's mother, said last night that
she had had a telephone call from a Mr. Fraser, who said he was from
Mr. Mitchell's office.
"Mr. Fraser said the permission given to Peter to go on the
property earlier had been withdrawn because he took other people with
him," she said.
|
