HARBOUR BRIDGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 839, 6 December 1929, Page 11

HARBOUR BRIDGE

CITY TOWN PLANNING COMMITTEE’S VIEWS

NO FINANCIAL LIABILITY The Town Planning Committee of the City Council submitted recommendations on the Waitemata Harbour bridge scheme last evening. dealing with the subject from four angles on which it considered the council should submit evidence to the Commission of Inquiry. The chairman of the committee, Cr. T. Bloodworth, stated that members were of opinion there should be no liability on the council for the cost of erecting the bridge. THE committee deals first with whether the bridge is necessary for the development of lands of the North, or for the improvement of trade and transport facilities with the North. The committee does not consider the council can express an opinion on the first point, beyond saying that if the bridge would be an advantage to the trade of the City and province, the council would favour its construction, subject to satisfactory arrangements as to costs of construction and maintenance, and subject also to the location of the bridge being such as would harmonise with City development. “The committee is of the opinion that while the bridge would undoubtedly be a great convenience, it is uot a present necessity for the development of the City ar.ea, and the committee does not think it will become a necessity for this purpose for some time to come.” Discussing the site, width and nature of approaches of a bridge, the committee says:—IMPORTANT ASPECT “This is perhaps the most important aspect of the proposal from the City development point of view, and in this connection the committee reminds the commission that the Town Planning Act imposes certain obligations on the City Council, and, indeed, upon all similar authorities, with respect to the production of a plan of development for their respective areas. Steps are being taken for the formation of a regional committee, whose duty it will be to produce a ‘master plau’ of development for the region. The area which has been suggested for inclusion in the region, and to be the scope of investigation for the ‘master plan,’ is all the lands which lie between the northern boundary of the Rodney County and the southern boundary of the Franklin County. “If a bridge is to be built in the immediate or more distant future, its purpose will be to provide quicker and more convenient communication between tho City and the northern shores of the harbour, and the district beyond. The business, industrial and commercial localities on the City side have become fixed by usage, and the bridge should be so placed as to give the most convenient access to these localities. It should also b.e so placed as to fit in with existing or probable street systems,” the committee adds. “For various reasons it has not as yet been possible for the City to determine certain important aspects of its town planning scheme, and if the commission now fixes definitely the site of the bridge on this side, it is obvious that both the City plan and the regional plan would have to be so made as to conform to that decision.”

FINANCING METHODS Methods of financing the bridge are referred to by the committee, | hich considers the principle of betterment should bo applied, and proportion of the construction and maintenance costs should be raised by levy or rate on lands advantaged by the bridge. The committee is also of opinion that the capital cost of approaches and street works necessitated by the bridge should be included as part of the total cost. Disapproval is expressed of the construction and administration ol’ the bridge by a syndicate, the committee holding that control should be public. If undertaken, the committee suggested the Government should control the construction of the bridge and that the finished structure should be vested in an appropriate authority. The report was adopted.