Kaiapoi Seeks Extension Into Eyre County

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30957, 13 January 1966, Page 7

Kaiapoi Seeks Extension Into Eyre County

With most of its available land taken up, and rapid development expected after the completion by mid-1970 of the first section of the northern motorway, the Kaiapoi Borough Council intends to meet the Eyre County Council as soon as possible to discuss the acquisition of county land.

The borough’s press- | ing need is 200 acres, with 160 houses on it, forming what is known ; as the Riseley block, in Eyre county immediately to the east of the motorway, and between it and the borough boundary. The Mayor of Kaiapoi (Mr H. 0. Hills) told “The Press" that the council was confident that the opening of the motorway would cause rapid industrial and residential growth to the point where the town might well eventually need an extra 1000 acres

of county land. I The Belfast-Pinehaven section of the motorway, costing more than £2m, will pass Kaiapoi's back door. Reading : construction is well advanced ‘to Adderley terrace, Kaiapoi, where 70.000 cubic yards of metal is piled for big work ahead. I In this area, the motorway will make a giant leap over the main north railway line, , the Kaiapoi river, and Smith I street. Interchanges at the Ohoka road and Smith street intersections will lead in to I Kaipoi. TENTATIVE DATES ; | Tentative completion dates; las given by the Ministry of ‘ Works are: West section, i Waimakariri bridge, end of; 1967: eastern span, mid-1969; i I by mid-1969, four-lane motoriway to Ohoka road: by mid--1970, four-lane to Cam road and two-lane to Pinehaven. “Our town-planning advice is that overseas investigations have shown that where towns on motorways have adequate traffic exchanges to feed in. the motorways have not had an adverse effect on the towns,” said Mr Hills. “In fact, there has generally been rapid industrial and residential development. We think this will happen at Kaiapoi. In association with!

our town-planning adviser (Mr C. R. Edwards), the council is planning 10 to 20 years ahead so that the expansion that will take place in the motorway area will be of a desirable type. “MUST EXTEND” i “Kaiapoi gives the impresjsion that it has a lot of land, I but the area that seems to be available is mostly reserves, or railway land. In fact, we are nearly out of building land, and we must s extend the town boundaries. “Kaiapoi's population now is about 3800. and Mr Edwards expects it will rise to 10,000 over the next 20 years. To cope with this growth, we will have to work in consultation with Eyre and Rangiora counties. “We want to expand the borough in an orderly way. Sewer and water services will be available for the expanding area. The Riseley block of about 160 houses is in the Eyre county, but is connected to the town sewer, as is another county area in Sneyd street. “The council’s engineers have been asked to make a preliminary survey of the area between Ohoka road and the milk factory and between the i motorway and the Main North | road to determine its suitajbility for residential development. I “Indications are that most [of this land is light soil, so its development would not mean taking good farm land out of production.” Mr Hills said that Mr Edwards had almost completed the borough town-planning scheme and the council had made decisions on commercial, residential, and industrial areas for future growth. The deviation of the Cam river in the Smith and Charles streets area would provide up to 120 building sites, said Mr Hills. The council hoped to develop Smith street as a beautiful, show-place entrance to Kaiapoi.

The council had started to improve Tunas street, a motorway access, and thought would have to be given to similar work for Bridge and Smith streets and the Ohoka road, where a big drain would have to be piped to give extra | width. Some thought was already being given to the provision of improved footways. Many persons did not yet realise that there would be no access to the motorway from its frontages except on the interchanges. ; The existing Main North road would remain as a service road for Kaiapoi and Belfast, and through it would carry a good deal of traffic congestion would be avoided by through traffic using the motorway, said Mr Hills. "11 MINUTES FROM TOWN” “When the motorway is completed to Bealey avenue, Kaiapoi will be only 11 minutes from town,” he slid. Asked whether this would not divert business from Kaiapoi, Mr Hills said that ease of access to the city might have some effect, but he was sure there would be other developments that would more than compensate Kaiapoi. In 10 years, he said the residential area would be pushed out and there would be large industrial expansion at Kaiapoi. All the council’s planning envisaged the centre of the town remaining where it is now.

“I don’t see hov r we can avoid anything but rapid progress,” Mr Hills said.