TOWN PLANNING

Southland Times, Issue 18845, 10 June 1920, Page 6

TOWN PLANNING

DOMINION CONFERENCE. FAR-REACHING LEGISLATION DEMANDED. | (Per United Press Association.) { , WELLINGTON. June 9. The Dominion Town-Planning Conference opened this morning. The president (the | Hon. C. .1. Parr) in welcoming the dclej Pstcs, said much of the spade work had j been done during the past two years, and they now had a majority of members of the House of Representatives pledget! to support reasonable town-planning legislation. The measure must not override the administration of local bodies, bvit must rather seek for their co-operation. He thought a Department of Town-planning could be established at a cost of £2OOO tc £•‘1000 a year, and this was a very' small amount to pay to prevent a repetition of the mistakes of the past. He hoped to see something definite accomplished during next session. The conference congratulated the Hon. C. J. Parr on his elevation to the Ministry. The chairman (Mr A. Leigh Hunt), in his opening address, said there whs absolute necessity to have a Town-planning Act nn the Statute Book or else in the next. 12 I months damage might be done which would take far more than the £2OOO or £3OOO for the department Jo repair. The Town-plan-ning Commission would act as a sort of Supreme Court for the settlement of disputes, say, between the local body, the public and the State departments. - At present a department might erect a building anywhere without the consent of the local authority. Co-ordination between the authorities was absolutely necessary. He expressed opposition to any stereotyped system for all towns and suggested a town-plan-ning board for each city, town or township with power to prepare systems for submission to the Town-planning Commission for approval. This would encourage local interest, without which town-planning would not succeed. The proposal for local town-planning boards met with general approval. The conference approved of (1) the application of the principles of town-planning to New Zealand and the preparation of town-planning schemes without delay; (2) necessary legislation in the form of a Townplanning and Housing Act; (3) the formation of a Town-planning and Housing Department and the appointment of an expert I town-planner, the Department to have supervision over all town-planning schemes; (4) the appointment of a Town-planning Commission to consist of the town-planner and four other experts in engineering, architecture, surveying and public health; (5) the town-planner should be a competent and experienced town-planner, with a salary -which would enable the Dominion to obtain a first-class man with actual experience both in town-planning schemes and garden cities, and who is recognised by the civic authorities as a town-planner of eminence. It was decided that the Government | should come under the Act where local au- | thorities have adopted the provisions of I the Act and a town-planning district had been declared, j The conference discussed the question j whether all improvements, even minor j schemes should be submitted to the Town i Planning Commission. The chairman j and Messrs W. M. Page and G. Strauchan 1 were appointed to draft recommendations | covering the point. ■ As a result of its deliberations the ComI mittee submitted the following rccommeni dations: —Every' borough or town district ■ with a population over 2000 shall be a 1 town-planning area. Adjacent land may be ; declared to form part of an area by the | Government on the recommendation of the i central Commission. Any other area may I be declared a town-planning area on the recommendation of the central Commission, and at the request, of the local authority. Every local Town Planning Board shall be constituted of (1) representatives of the several boroughs, counties and town districts comprised in the town-planning area, to be appointed by the local authorities of those districts; (2) two other persons being ratepayers within the town-planning area arc to be elected by the ratepayers, the elections to be held at the same time as the elections of the local authorities within the area. It shall be the duty of the Town Planning Board to prepare a scheme on town-planning lines within 12 months after the date of the establishment of such scheme, and to be submitted to the town planner for approval- Should such lowa Planning Board fail to prepare a scheme within that time, the central Commission shall draft a scheme and compel such local Town Planning Board to carry' out the same. Until such scheme is adopted then no more work shall be undertaken of a character as determined by the Commission without its approval. The recommendations were adopted. The election of officers was deferred until the meeting of the federation, to be held within two months. Mr R. Hill was elected secretary. Before adjourning the conference decided to meet the Minister of Internal Affairs and arrange for a deputation from the federation.