Residents Told Of Motorway Plans

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31009, 15 March 1966, Page 18

Residents Told Of Motorway Plans

Proposals for the construction of the rural section of the southern motorway on a line fixed late last year from the city to Weedons were explained to affected Paparua and Halswell county residents at a meeting at Sockburn last night. Land compensation questions were also answered. Members of the Paparua and Halswell County Councils were among the more than 60 persons present. Invitations were sent to 55 Paparua and 15 Halswell property owners “We are reluctant to see property owners inconvenienced and in some cases, adversely affected, but we must accept development of this nature as being essential

to the needs of Canterbury,” said the Paparua County Council’s chairman (Mr R. J. Roberts), who presided. Three Stages A circular distributed by the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority said that the motorway would be completed from the city by way of Waltham and Addington, to Annex road between 1975 and 1978. Stage 2, from Annex road to Springs road, would be completed by 1980, and stage 3, from Springs road to Weedons, would be completed, possibly, between 1980 and 1990. Stage 2, comprising 3.3 miles, left the urban area at Annex road, ran parallel to Middle Lincoln road, skirted the east side of Wigram airfield, and would have an interchange to connect with Halswell at Dunbars road and provide for the future Aka-roa-Ellesmere arterial road. The section would end on

Halswell Junction road, a short distance south of Springs road junction. Stage 3, of 5.7 miles, would cross Springs road and the Lincoln railway, passing close to the intersection of Marshs and Shands roads, and then running parallel to the Main South road to join it near Weedons. There would be an interchange at Hamptons road, and provision for one at Shands road. Existing road lines would be used for the associated reading pattern except for small sections of new roads in Halswell county. The Ellesmere road would be extended two miles to meet the motorway at the Halswell interchange, and would serve the Elles-mere-Leeston areas, and by using the abandoned railway line past Greenpark, would ultimaely provide the major road to Akaroa. Purchase Of Land Land for the motorway would not, in general, be bought for a long time, and most of the farm land would not be affected for 15 or 20 years. Market value compensation would be paid, and whether extra was paid for disturbance would depend on circumstances in each case. “This is a long-term proposal. No owner will be affeced physically for 10 years. A route has been evolved that serves the need with the least effect on properties,” the circular concluded. Using slides, the authority’s engineer (Mr M. Douglass) ex-

plained the northern and southern motorway plans, and the regional reading network. He said the authority or the Ministry of Works would be glad to discuss individual problems. Questions Asked The motorway line was to stop development on it, but would not stop the sale of existing properties, said Mr Douglass, answering questions. Only one property was “landlocked” by the proposals. If farms were cut in two, and made uneconomic, the whole farm would be bought and reallocated. “How can we get to land on the other side of the motor, way? We can't cross it,” he was asked.

Mr Douglass said that care had been taken to preserve road crossings, but whole farms would have be bought. There would be no side access direct on to the motorway. Ramp interchanges would be used rather than clover-leaf ones, as these took up too much room, said Mr Douglass. Land use zoning along the motorway would, in general, remain rural for all time, but where it touched urban zones now, the urban zones could be enlarged. The general approach to getting land today for reading was to use the Town and Country Planning Act rather than the Public Works Act, said the District Commissioner of Works (Mr D. B. Dallas). This enabled the pub-

lic to be told of plans well in advance. “Thoroughly Tested” The plan had been thoroughly tested and checked. Mr Douglas had quoted dates, but, said Mr Dallas, on his experience, they were likely to be later than earlier. Tire motorway work should have started in about 10 years. If work was delayed, problems would grow. Rules and principles would be followed on compensation, he said. No-one wanted to spend money long ahead of the need, least of all the National Roads Board. Perhaps it would be a year, or longer, before anything was done. There would be plenty of warning, and the first warning would be a land survey. Advice To Owners “Then you can know that getting it down to a peg has started,” said Mr Dallas. “Continue farming or using it, and give thought as to what you want to do. It is not wise to accept payment in advance, because you cannot always foresee the effect of the work. “You may decide to sell to speculators who will pester you to sell, but you are assured of getting compensation to the full value of your loss.” Mr Dallas, to questions, denied that the motorway would depreciate property values. A voice: I think you’re talking a lot of rot. “Turned Away” A woman said two prospective buyers of a house property had turned away on hearing that it was on the motorway. Why should she and her husband wait, when they wanted to go overseas? Mr Dallas said that the case should be discussed with the Ministry of Works. No real ox - imagined loss of value due to the motorway would be taken into account on compensation. The chairman of the Halswell County Council (Mr J. Y. Pethig) thanked the speakers, and said they had put the position above board, unpalatable as it might be to some.