Auckland’s Future Growth

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30962, 19 January 1966, Page 3

Auckland’s Future Growth

CV.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 18. Auckland city is seen as a “rapidlygrowing metropolitan giant” in the A.N.Z. Bank’s quarterly survey this month. Its vitality’, fed by’ the •‘drift to the north," is onlychecked by Wellington’s position as the capital city and headquarters for commercial organisations, the survey says. By 1986. the survey estimates. Auckland's population will exceed 1.120,000. one million being in the urban area. Today's urban area labour

force is expected to double by the same date to over 400,000. A total expenditure on reading of £l4O million is expected by 1986. “This is a staggering figure, but costs of this order are unavoidable if the region is to maintain current growth rates and function efficiI ently.” j Port Facilities : Auckland port facilities [have been, and will continue to be, one of the prime fac- ' tors promoting growth. ; “Although future trade de-| i pends upon a number of fac-; I tors, including the scale of ! development of other North island ports, it appears that the volume of cargo handled at Auckland may increase by more than one half by 1986.” A project the survey believes will have a great influence on the inner city itself, is the Auckland Harbour Board’s 20-year “down town” i redevelopment scheme. The project requires col-

Nominee.—Mr F. D. Sharp was chosen as the Auckland nominee for manager of the Empire Games team at a delegates’ meeting of the Auckland Athletic Centre last night.—(P.A.).

laboration between the harbour board, Government, civil authorities, and private enterprise in a £34 million scheme to redesign and rebuild 32 acres of the commercial area.

Expanding Suburbs

“Although there has been substantial rebuilding and modernisation in Queen street, growth in both inner and outer suburbs over the ’last 10 years has resulted in ! a decreasing proportion of ; the region’s shops being ; located within the city [centre.” the survey states. But during this period the number of shops, total retail floor space, and turnover within the central business district have all continued to increase.

The survey believes the centralisation of local administration, as shown by the Auckland Regional Authority, is a "constructive, and possibly crucial, step towards rapid and co-ordinated growth.”