TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 176, 10 June 1955, Page 1

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING

| Application To Taupo Region II Town and country planning is very finuch in the news these days. Most Iprogressive boroughs and counties fthroughout the country are now deEveloping under an approved scheme |or have one in course of preparation, land the district of Taupo is no excepItion. I The Borough scheme, after passing Ethrough the necessary steps of public land departmental approval, is now I'approaching the stage of final ap|proval by the council, and recently p was publicly announced that a disEtrict scheme was in course of preIparation for Taupo County. : What is the idea behind this planIning? We know that it involves gregulations and restrictions which pnay affect the lives and affairs of iiiumerous individuals; and we know ||hat in thjs complex civilisation of Ijmrs there seems to be already too linany such restrictions. Is planning Ithen, really worthwhile or necessary IV this country? What are its obIjectives at the present day? j|>; It has been said that the principal pbject of town and country planning lis to secure the best use of the land |in the interests of the community as |a whole. Most responsible citizens iwould agree that this is a worthtfhile and necessary aim, but the de|lnands on a particular piece of land, |may be numerous and conflicting | (for example, say, for highway, fschool, houses, railway station, garEi, |age or racecourse) and a long and |painstaking process of inquiry and Inegotiation may be required before |the best use for the community as a |whole can be determined. f Not only do the claims of various ^government departments and public | bodies have to be reconciled but pri|yate owners naturally have their pwn plans for the development of piieir land. When, as sometimes happens, long term community interests ; po not coincide with private interists, planning becomes unpopular. On Ithe other hand, past experience has

Ii that the muddle and confusion l result from complete freedom, ,ther licence, in the matter of use can cause a continuing drain e financial respurces of the local listration and the community as )le. is an overall authority to reguand co-ordinate land use pro3 is essential, and it is in recog- . of this fact that governments ost civilised countries have inced legislation to create the sary authority to plan ahead, nine the best use of the land, mforce such decisions. re has been town planning legisin this country since 1926, and, the case of much other legislathe original act was amended time to time to meet changing nstances until in 1953 it was hat something more than mere dment was required and a comy new act was introduced. This ed from a general broadening e principles and objectives of ing, a growing realisation of the lependence of town and country, :e the Town and Country PlanAct), and a feeling that planshould be made a local responeffect, the government of the said to every local authority, believe that planning is essenmd therefore you must have a but the community whom you sent, who must abide by the le and pay for it, must have a ihare in formulating it by sugm, objection, and appeal."

Thus under the Act all Boroughs and Counties were placed under an immediate obligation to prepare and maintain a planning scheme. known under the Act as a "District Scheme". The objective of such schemes is set out in the Act itself: — "Every district scheme shall have for its general purpose the development of the area to which it relates (inciuding where necessary, the replanning and reconst^uction of any area therein that has already been subdivided and built on; in such a way as will most effectively tend to promote and safeguard the health, safety and convenience, and the economic and general wrelfare of its inhabitants, and the amenities of every part of the area." Matters to be dealt with under the Act are clearly laid down therein and these will be discussed in next week's article.