TEN-YEAR PLAN DISCUSSED

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24896, 8 June 1946, Page 8

TEN-YEAR PLAN DISCUSSED

Minister Addresses Conference EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES

“The works outlined are in the planning stage only,” said the Minister of Works (the Hon. R. Semple), speaking on behalf of the Government when he presented the North Canterbury regional development plan yesterday. The Government was not willing to state exactly when any particular work would be commenced, but which would be started and when would be stated later.

The Commissioner of Works (Mr E. R. McKillop) said the plan was a pattern to which the Government would work, and a framework within which local bodies could build their own plans and private individuals go ahead with more security than in the past. Mr Semple said the postponement of practically all works which did not have a bearing on the war effort had resulted in a large demand from private interests, local bodies, and the Government. It was found necessary to ensure that in satisfying competitive demands for materials and manpower there should be no conflict in planning or execution which would result in a waste of money, whether to the private individual or to the Government. Lack of progress in town planning in the past had been largely due to the failure of the Government to take local bodies properly into its confidence. He 1 considered the future of the world depended on planning for the benefit of its peoples.

Effect of Gazette Notice Explaining the Gazette notice, which was issued immediately after the conference, Mr Semple said it did not have the effect of taking any land, nor did it give any person any right to enter on any land. It would not appear as an impediment on any landowner’s title and was merely a public statement announcing the Government’s intentions, which would enable development proposals to be discussed freely without inflating land values against the Crown. By far the greater proportion of the land would remain untouched.

Mr Semple said the picture presented to the meetifig was not considered to be either complete or perfect. The Commissioner of Works had been badly handicapped by the lack of staff and the pressure of war works. There was no significance in his revealing other regional plans first. No priority was implied. Mr McKillop said it was not the intention to put any work in hand until it had been closely examined from the economic and technical points of

view. Some of the works would be begun shortly, and most of them within 10 years, but possibly some would not be started until some period in the future. The method of drawing up a broad plan in consultation with local bodies had advantages for the Government, which thus would get the benefit of local knowledge, and for local bodies which could not plan in their own districts without some knowledge of what the Government’s plans were. Factors To Be Considered Mr McKillop said the commencement of individual works would depend on many factors, including material resources; local necessity; considerations of full employment and full production, and the finance available and the relation of the individual work to the general economy of the country.

Mr T. G. Beck (Assistant Commissioner of Works) said the plan might sound grandiose, but he asked those present to cast their minds back to the early days of Canterbury and look at the foresight of the early settlers. Surely the successors of the pioneers with their great technological advantages, could display as much foresight. They did not want to be slaves to a plan but should set themselves an objective and hitch their waggons to a *J ar - , Most of the works set out on the plan were originally suggested by local bodies in Canterbury, even though they were Government works. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr E. H. Andrews), who presided, said there was nothing to be gained by going into the plan in detail. The stage had not been reached when local bodies could say yea or nay to the plan or any part of it, but they could give their approval to the principles of the plan. Question of Priorities A motion of thanks to the Minister and his officers and of approval of the principles of the. plan was moved by the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon), who said priorities would be a burning question It was good to know that because Mr Semple went to Auckland first he was not getting the North Island complex. South Island peonle Particuiarly those m Canterbury, had felt that they were the Cinderellas of New Zealand. They had divested themselves of their assets when the central government was formed, and had had very little out of it since. It was good to hear that the Government was conscious of what Canterbury was and could be and would mean to the economic development of New Zealand.

Mr Mac Gibbon said he hoped prioriJjes for such things as the Lincoln College buildings would be fixed in a few months.

The motion was seconded by the chairman of the Heathcote County Council (Mr F. W. Freeman). Mr Semple said local bodies would be consulted in fixing priorities. They knew what they needed first. It would be absurd to hurry on with something they did not want and leave undone something that they did want.