Resource management ’not authority’s concern’

Press, 16 April 1979, Page 16

Resource management ’not authority’s concern’

The Canterbury Regional Planning Authority might be entering an area that was more a “Government or political” issue, says the chairman of the Rangiora District Council (Mr T M. Inch). Mr Inch, in a report to the council, said that the

Authority appeared to be entering into an area ot resource management. This included manpower, natural resources, mineral resources, and many other areas. His comments followed a visit to the district council by a Regional , Planning Authority official, who spoke on resource management. “Resource management | seems to be an area ouiI side the scope of the I authority and outside its | powers otulined in the i Town and Country Plani ning Act,” Mr Inch said. “Probably most of the' | local authorities around us I would hesitate about i agreeing to the Planning I Authority’s entering this I field of activity,” he said, j A rural resource manj agement study had been i presented at the last meelj ing of the authority. It appeared there would be a lot of emphasis on social and community resources. “This sort of thing is a nebulous area. It is entering into the political field when people start dis-

cussing why there is unemployment in Christchurcn and why there is a drift from the towns to the cities,”. Mr Inch said. He said he was concerned that the cost of regional planning was nigh enough without diversifying into “grey a reas.” “Time will tell how far this proposal will go,” he said. Mr Inch said that the authority was moving toward its draft regional scheme. He expected that it would be available in three or four months. "We must look closely at this scheme,” he said. He was not prepared to speculate on the future of the authority when a united council was set up in Canterbury. He expected a provisional scheme for the area from the Local Government Commission in a matter of weeks. “It will take over the regional planning. There could be great changes for the Planning Authority,” Mr Inch said.