REGIONAL TOWN PLANNING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 40402, 16 January 1930, Page 3

REGIONAL TOWN PLANNING.

At Monday night’s meeting of the Foxton Borough Council, the following communication was received from the .Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. D ! e La Perrelle) in reference to Regional Town Hanning : “I desire to call your attention to Part II of the Town Planning Amendment Act, 1929, in which provision is made for the preparation of regional-planning schemes. “It is contemplated that the whole of the land in the Dominion capable of economic development will be embraced within one or other of these regional schemes, and it is desirable that every local authority should be in a position to advise the Board at an early date in regard to the boundaries of the region in which the area under its jurisdiction is' situated. “For the purpose of the administration of the Act, a region can be defined as an area of. land having natural geographic boundaries or united by common social and economic interests, disregarding the boundaries ol* the separate local autholrities.

“Already throughout the Dominion a number of social services and public utilities, such as education, hospitals, harbours, drainage, wa-ter-supply, power ngA recreational facilities are organised on a regional basis, and the boundaries of !lie different areas under the jurisdiction of the statutory bodies eontrolling these services and utilities should serve as a useful guide; hut more important still are the economic factors, such as marketing, commercial, financial, and transport facilities upon which the primary and secondary industries depend. “A broad survey of the North Island seems to indicate that the following geographic areas will constitute the principal regions:“North Auckland, South Auckland, Waikato, Taupo, Bay of Plen-ty,-Gisborne and District, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington and District, Manawatu, Wanganui and District, North Taranaki and South Taranaki.

“A closer examination will prob - ably indicate the desirability of constituting subsidiary regions, but these cannot be determined until the 'boundaries of the more important regions have been defined. 8 of the Act provides that any two or ihore local authorities having jurisdiction over adjoining areas may, on their own motive, resolve to unite for the purpose of preparing a regionalplanning scheme, but that no such resolution shall have effect until it has been approved by the townplanning Board by notice published in the Gazette. “There may he cases where the determination of the boundaries of a region does not present any great difficulty,- and the local authorities concerned could proceed at once to pass the necessary resolutions; but, generally speaking, the Board is of the opinion that it would facilitate matters if the boundaries of the various regional areas were determined with finality before such resolutions are passed.

“The immediate problem, therefore, is to define the boundaries of these regions, and the Board has decided that the most practical and expeditions method of procedure is to hold a series of public inquiries at which evidence can be taken from all interested parties. “It is proposed to hold such inquiries during February and Ma rch, 1930, in the following centres: — “Wliangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Haweva, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Wellington, Masterton, Napier, Gisborne, Tnuranga, and Thames.

“Precise details in regard to these inquiries will be notified in the press in due course, and invitations to he represented will be sent to all the local authorities concerned.”

The Mayor (Mr. AI. E. Perreau) stated that matter was one which did not concern the local Council to any great extent at present but, nevertheless, it was a matter that would! require serious considjeraiion in the not distant future. It was an important matter, but also one which, unfortunately, would entail a good deal of expense.

It was decided .to receive the i-omimmication.