TOWN PLANNING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2549, 25 August 1915, Page 3

TOWN PLANNING

' SUGGESTIONS' FOR, A BILL. I'/'The - need;for' town-planning legislation was urged by a deputation which Waited upon the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. G. ,W. Russell) yesterday afternoon. . Mr. Leigh Hunt said' the deputation represented the Greater ,Wellington Municipal Electors-' to ivhidh were affiliated about .ten ratepayers' associations,. and. he proceeded to ; outline.the-view&'of the dfeputation. Mr. Hunt produced a Bill , which the association had drawn up, and said though in parts "it was, based V upon Jlr." G. Fowlds's Bill, it.'eliminated tlie proposals to place tllie power of direction ■with tho Governor-in-Council. There .was no attempt to override the local-au-thorities, however jthe.intenion was only 'to-compel them to.cbiifcr with one another. . The proposal was to set up a board comprising the Surveyor-General, three members of a borough or city council, a member of a harbour board (if'.there,';was one in the borough or city), two persons elected by the citizens, audi two nomuiated_ by tlie Government. Office (except in the case of the Government nominee) . should be held , for three- years., ; In reply,' the Hon. G: 'W. Russell said he was pleased-to fee the earnest endeavour of the association to grapple with what was one of the most important questions of the day., 'He himself could be looked upon, after his own proposals when , a Minister ill 1912, as committed to' town-planning legislation. He could see certain of his own proposals embodied in the association's Bill. He agreed with t)ie suggestion that every local body must come under tho power of the Act. . Only a few weeks of jthe session now remained, and it would be impossible to put through a Bill this year, but ho hoped next year ■to hring down a progressive .Local Bodies -Bill, and town-plaaining .provisions would be included.