TOWN-PLANNING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3179, 1 September 1917, Page 8

TOWN-PLANNING

PROPOSALS TO THE MINISTER BORROWING WITHOUT RATEPAYERS' CONSENT The Special Committee set up by the Town-Planning League's Conference in Wellington recently to make recommendations to the Minister of Internal Affairs in regard to the pronosed townplanning legislation waited upon the Hon. G. AV. llussell yesterday afternoon for this purpose, the deputation cgmprising Messrs. C. .). Parr, .17 Pavne, and H. G. Ell, M.P.'s, the Hon. .1. 'J'. Paul, M.L.C., and Mr. S. Hurst Seager (Christchurch).

Mr. Parr said they were strongly impressed with the South Australian Act, which was already working, and they reiitured to bring before the .Minister some of the basic principles of that ;\et which they thought applicable to .N'ew Zealand.

Mr. Hurst Seager said the deputation suggested that, in accordance with the South Australian -principle, three experi: commissioners, instead of Government officers, bo appointed as an advisory board. The commissioners would bo associated . with representatives of any particular district in carrying out a scheme for that district. ~ The decision arrived at would go back to the local authorities, and they would have three mouths in which to thrash it out.

The Minister pointed out that the only difference between this scheme and his was the constitution of trie controlling body.

Mr. Hurst Sealer said the deputation hoped the Ministei' would give favourable consideration to the question of housing, so that proper provision mijlit be made for garden suburbs, workers' dwellings, etc. Then thero was the important question of the division of authority among the Government's offtas. Mr. Russell: That is the crux of the W'hole position.

The, Minister pointed out that, one public 'Department would never agree to another interfering with it.' The Departments were all watertight, managing their own business. .They would never get a Department like tho Labour .Department, for instance, to agree to its arrangements for erecting workers' homes being submitted to another Department for its opinion.

Mr. Paul: The most we may hope for is that tho influence of to\vh-plaiming will be reflected on Government sections.

Mr. Russell: As the spirit of the thing progressed no doubt it would atfect the Departments.

The Minister thought there would probably be no difficulty in making the necessary arrangements for town-plan-ning so far as future extensions were concerned, but the problem affecting towns already inexistence was, where was the money to coino from? Say Wellington decided to eliminate slums, and put rip new areas, should 1 he cost of that be borne by the city as a whole by way of loan?

Mr. Parr and Mr. Hurst Seager: Oh, yes.

Mr. Seager stated that in England a public utility society might buy up slums and make tho. affair a financial success. . . i The Minister said this could tie done here.

Mr. Seager: Yes, but there is no authority to'compel people, to sell.

Mr. Russell: Tho Parliament of New Zealand would never pass a law to allow any body, except a municipal body, to possess powers for the compulsory acquisition of land. A municipal authority would not allow it.

Mr. Parr explained that under the South Australian Act they would bo powerless to do this until they assured the municipal authorities that they had the power of veto. Mr. Russell: And there is no question of setting up another authority? Members of deputation: Oh,-no.

The Hon. J. T. Paul stated that Ihe South Australian Act embodied tho effect of the world's experience in townplanning. Mr. Hu,rst Seager urged that when returned soldiers wero put on the land they should be boused in model villages with their holdings grouped around. They would not consent alter their fellowship during tho war to live in a shanty on a wide area of land. The Minister said the Department had already been instructed to take steps to prepare the tgeneral structure of the Bill for consideration, and he. would send tho literature handed him by tbe deputation to his officers for their information. The first Act to go through was sure to be nothing but a general one, and it would bo upon its experience thai; the finer features of legislation, would be built up and the. general scheme extended. Ho was afraid ho could not hold out much hope ol the Bill being put upon tho this session, but if they could get it printed the subject could be dismissed dining tho recess. At the back of the question lay tho subject -of, finance. Ho supposed there was no city in New Zealand in which half a million sterling could not be spent in reorganising and town-plaaning. The question was: Were the municipalities educated up to townplanning? Town-planning could be done, no- thought, if a loan could be floated and a long'time allowed for the. building up o* the sinking fund, bu-he<hd no? ink there was the slightest chance of o State footing the bill. Whatever■ was done must bo done by the local hod . If a poll were taken, so many of the ratepayers would bo so apathetic that hr would °PP° S " tlie 6chc^, 1 °' , t , r h P to pay an extra ss. a year m rates. J J 1 scheme wero formulated by the loca a autS gone through by .Gormen ...(■- irwi i« n final satecfuaHi updbv the Minister! he did not know whether 'they should not give file local might bavo to be considered.