TOWN PLANNING

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 55, 2 September 1926, Page 8

TOWN PLANNING

» DISCUSSION IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TH33 BILL PASSED. Tho Town Planning Bill was discussed in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon. In moving tho second reading, the Leader of the Council (Sir Heaton Ehodes) said it had been talked of more than tho Daylight Saving Bill, and made its appearance, though in difforontlform, fifteen years ago. * Tho Hon. J. A. Hauan said ho could not understand why the Gpvorument was so anxious to push tho Bill through this session. He thought it was' illadvised in attempting to do so. There was very strong opposition among pub lie-spiritecf men in respect to the measure, and they considered it should be held over for very close investigation in the Parliamentary recess. Tho effect of the Bill should receivo more Consideration than the mere desire to pass it. Tho Bill went in the. direction of centralisation, and suroly the work of town-planning could be carried out by local boards. It would bo high-handed action for a body in Wellington to say that a scheme in, another centre was not to be carried out. The powers it was proposed to put in the hands of the Director of Town Planning werq too great. With all the centralisation that was going on, we wero galloping towards Stato socialism. Tho compensation clause was a most difficult one to draft satisfactorily, and he ventured to predict very great trouble in regard to mortgages if the present compensation clause was adopted. In the interests of satisfactory town-planning, economy, and efficiency the Bill should bfe hold over. . BILL LONG OVERDUE. Tho Hon. J. Barr thought the.Bill was long overdue, and tho previous speaker should bo aware of that. The Bill was older than the Daylight Saving Bill, and .was almost as old as Parliament itself. No previous Government had had the courage to bring it forward.1 He was also surprised to hear Mr, Hanan decry centralisation, which was necessary in such a matter as town planning. If there were local boards all over the country there would be chaos. He agreed it was dangerous to put too much power in the hands of a single individual, who should rather be the mouthpiece of his board, which should advise him. The Bill should go on the Statute Book immediately, and should be improved year by year, according to experience of it. The Hon. A. S. Malcolm asked whether it would not be of advantage for the Government to refer the Bill, to the Municipal Association. A serious omission had been mado in that "it made no provision for the appointment of city engineers to the board, some of whom had special town-planning qualifications. He hoped they would be given representation. The chief difficulty under the Bill would be in regard to administration. He estimatod that 240 local bodies would require to furnish town-planning schemes, all to be dealt with in three years. That worked out at nearly two schemes to bo dealt with per week. A BOGEY. The Hon. T. 8. Weston, replying to Mr. Hanau 's complaint of excessive centralisation, said ho felt sure it'was a bogey, and that tho board'would turn down schemes from the big cities with much diffidence. - Sir Heaton Ehodes said the Bill would no doubt require much amendment before it.completely suited the requirements of tho Dominion. If a city engineer was an expert town-planner, his inclusion in tho personnel of the board could not be objected to. Ho thought tho Bill should be put on the Statute Book and a start mado. The Bill was read the second time, and was put through its final stages, and passed with the amendments made by the Statutes Revision Committee.