PROBLEMS FACING CANTERBURY

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28266, 2 May 1957, Page 12

PROBLEMS FACING CANTERBURY

Outline To M.P.’s By Progress League

North Canterbury’s problems and development projects which have the support of the Canterbury Progress League were aired before six Canterbury members of Parliament by the council of the league yesterday.

Irrigation, roads, public relations, a Vice-regal residence in Christchurch, hydro-electricity, Lake Sumner development and a town hall for Christchurch were among the subjects discussed by chairmen of the league’s committees.

Members of Parliament present were the Minister of Marine (Mr R. G. Gerard) from Ashburton; Mr R. M. Macfarlane (Christchurch Central), Miss M. B. Howard (Sydenham), Mr W. H. Gillespie (Hurunui), Mr M. A. Connelly (Riccarton), and Mr J. Mathison (Avon).

Mr H. E. Radley, president of the league, said there had been some support for an invitation to all members of Parliament to visit Canterbury to see the projects in hand, but virtually none of the local bodies in the area had favoured a full-scale Parliamentary visit. The League had then prepared a summary of provincial development projects, and had decided to invite Canterbury members of Parliament to a meeting to discuss them.

He said the league had no wish to interfere in local bodiy activities, but saw its duty was keeping town and country united and to see that Canterbury did not lag behind other provinces. He paid a tribute to the work being done by the Chr'stchurch City Council, the Christchurch Transport Board and the Tunnel Road Authority. Irrigation Schemes

Mr W. F. McArthur outlined the league’s efforts to get extension of the irrigation system. No other scheme for the development of the province could achieve so much as complete irrigation of the dry areas, he said. From a hard-headed financial point of view, irrigation should be placed first in priority, he said. Things like the tunnel road and Lake Sumner development would follow, and be financed easily because of the increased production which would follow irrigation “Get the means of producing the wealth before we spend the money on things not revenueproducing,” said Mr McArthur. For the league’s roads committee, Mr R. C. Neville said that the problem of roading in Canterbury was one which was general in New Zealand. Christchurch city, in particular, had a real problem in the northern approach. Canterbury had many bridging problems but they were beginning to be met. Most of the highways were barely adequate for today’s traffic and totally inadequate for the future.

Akaroa people considered that they had a grievance, he said, and the league was endeavouring to see that earlier Government promises for the Akaroa highway were met. Veterinary Diagnosis “More and more urgent every day,” was the description Mr D. W. Gray applied to the South Island’s need for a veterinary diagnostic station. At least one was needed, he said, and Canterbury had an ideal site. Of water for stock in the Malvern district, Mr Gray said the problem had arisen because of the

closer settlement of land. The problem in Malvern would arise in other places, but the need for assistance in Malvern was urgent. An open-drain system was much cheaper than a piped system. A £1 for £2 subsidy by . the Government for a scheme estimated to cost £lOO,OOO seemed a modest request to counter a threat to rich pastoral land, but Government policy had been not to subsidise open water-race schemes. North and South Mr E. F. Ward said the “twothird North Island, one-third South Island” outlook was dangerous and must be combated. Of public relations, he said the league was to discuss with the City Council the establishment of a public relations office, and any support by members of Parliament would be appreciated.

“We feel that the time has come when the South Island should have a Vice-Regal residence, and we feel that Christchurch would be an ideal place for it,” said Mr Ward.

“Mona Vale,” which had been suggested as a Governor-Gen-eral’s residence, should be p~eserved for the future, he said. With the bringing into use of Roxburgh, hydro-electricity problems had been solved for the immediate future, said Mr B. J. Drake, but there must be investigation of potential sources of power, particularly the North Canterbury rivers. The power committee of the league was also concerned to see that Lake Coleridge was kept up to its maximum efficiency as a guard against breakdowns in generation or transmission. There seemed to be sufficient power to meet the needs of the next seven or eight years, but there must be no complacency. Lake Sumner Mr A. R. Blank outlined the league’s efforts to open up Lake Sumner for the public. There were about 600 applicants for sections, he said, which demonstrated the need for developing the resort. But, since then, the Crown Lands Office had said that the price of sections would be about £2OO. Obviously the price of nine miles of road had been put on to the sections, so that the few section-holders would be paying for a road which would serve tourists generally. A road costing £35,000, the latest figure mentioned, was not needed. All that was required was a good country road, he said.

The town hall project was primarily a local one, said Mr P. B. Watts, but it was one in which members of Parliament should be interested. It was a long-term project, but it was one that successive City Councils had shelved. The league had now taken a lead. Much investigation was necessary. It was not the league’s intention to usurp the authority of the City Council, but the council would get help from any move to ensure that there was a demand for a town hall,

and an assurance of tangible support.

He was not pessimistic about the drift of population to the North Island, said Mr Gerard. At one time the North Island had been concerned about the drift to the south. “Such things right themselves,” he said. Mr Gerard said he would strongly support the establishment of a diagnostic station in the South Island. It was overdue for establishment, and the South Island needed to work hard for it.

“I have always failed to see what push there is in the Progress League,” said Miss Howard. “Everything we have heard about today is under way, and I don’t see how this meeting can advance things. “You can’t do things overnight. Both this and the previous Government are getting on with irrigation,” she said. “How can you push them further when they have to consider the over-all policy and financial obligations.” If the league was able to go out and raise £150,000 for the town hall project, which was a local project, she would be prepared to wash out all her previous criticism of the league. “If they do that they will be putting meat on the bones of the Progress League,” she said.

There was virtually unanimous agreement between South Island members of Parliament on major South Island problems, said Mr Mathison. There was a split between country and town on the rating powers of the Lyttelton Harbour Board.

“If you are going to act along the lines mentioned in your brochure then I would say there is a lot of room for the Canterbury Progress League,” he said. Earlier, he had thought that the league was fairly dead. It had been rejuvenated to some extent. “Pressure Groups” “This is the day of pressure groups, and I believe that we in Canterbury have not pressed hard enough,” said Mr Mathison, advocating an order of apriority for the province’s projects. He was not so sure of the need for a Vice-Regal residence, Mr Mathison said. He would rather advocate the closing of the ViceRegal residence in Auckland. When the Queen visited Christchurch she took a suite of rooms in a hotel, as she did in other centres. What was good enough for Her Majesty was good enough for the Governor-General. Mr Connelly described the projects as a “fairly mixed bag.” There should be some compromise on the approach to be made, to ensure that the correct priority was given.

The library site was the most suitable for a town hall and civic centre, said Mr Macfarlane, but the owners of the property were most reluctant to leave. Th'e key site was occupied by a club with a long history and it was only natural that members did not want to leave. The land could be acquired under the Public Works Act, but the council preferred negotiation.

Mr Macfarlane said the Government had said there would be no difficulties in the council’s acquiring State-owned land in the block. As for the other properties, he did not think any citizen would “shed a tear” to see them demolished. If progress was to be made more families must be got out to country areas, Mr Gillespie said. He did not agree that Canterbury’s roads were generally deteriorated There had been general improvement.