Land sought to relieve "critical stage" in Taupo

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 50, 25 June 1974, Page 1

Land sought to relieve "critical stage" in Taupo

A deputation from the Taupo Chamber of Commerce is to go to Wellington to urge the Governntent to release more land for residential sections in the Taupo area. This was decided unanimously last week after a long discussion on housing problems in the town. -The chamber wants the Crown to give urgent consideration to subdividing all available land for release to people who live and work in Taupo. The borough engineer, Mr W. K. Kiddle, told the meeting: "We are Teaching a very crucial stage in Taupo. Land round the urban area is almost all owned either by the Crown or by the Maori people. There is very little private land left for future subdivision." He suggested that if chamber members were concerned about housing for workers they should approach the Government to ensure that all available Crown land was released for this purpose. "Land agents in Taupo have a list of people they can ring up and sell a

section to immediately, but is it going to the people who really need it? "The Crown is really the only one who can meet the need for reasonably priced housing in Taupo," said Mr Kiddle. "At this stage, we have an impossible situation in some respects. The price of land and housing is fantastic and, on top of this, there is a shortage of loan money and a shortage of supplies and materials for subdivision and building purposes." Mr Kiddle said the Government had a responsibility to meet the need for low-cost housing, and "drastic steps" were, necessary if workers were to be housed. Mr Kiddle suggested the Government could hand over the management of its lands to the borough council. The council could then rai^ie loans for housing — and local business people

i could invest in the lqans to ensure the future of the town. Another alternative was to encourage as much building as possible, in the hope that more rental accommodation would be made available at cheap rates. Mr Kiddle said building permit figures showed there had been record building in Taupo up to last year. "But what is the occupancy rate? There seems to be more than enough houses for the permanent population," he said. "Perhaps the chamber could investigate the use of the remaining houses. That could be the answer to the accommodation problem." Within the last nine months about 140 sections had been put on the market in Taupo and all had been sold within three

Land sought to relieve "critical stage" in Taupo

weeks, said the Chamber of Commerce president, Mr L. Saunders. '"Land agents get from three to six inquiries a vvecK for sections, and esp • oi.'Dy for cheaper-cost sections. There is also a large number of inquiries from people trying to get rental accommodation," he said. The chairman of the borough council works committee, Mr J. R. Nash, said he had heard of 30 applications to rent one flat. ' Of 650 sections still to be made available for subdivision in the borough, 310 were controlled by the Crown, and there was a delay of 12 to 15 months for supplies of piping and other materials necessary for subdivision work, h'e said. The council could look at increasing the permitted density of construction closer to the town centre, said Mr Nash, but it was a move he would oppose because of the resulting social problems. "It could backfire in the next 10 years or so by creating a ghetto area," he said. ... Another suggestion was to bring mote pressure on

Government for a State housing programme in Taupo. Mr Nash said moves could be made to penalise people wanting to invest in other than permanent housing in the Taupo area. Discussions could also be held with the county on the immediate rezoning of land adjacent to the borough boundary. . "But the best suggestion I have is to require the Crown to present now a forward programme of development of its land so there is an over supply of residential sections," he said. * Mr R. Davis said: "This town is going to come to a stop some time soon because there is nowhere to move to. "At the moment sections cost anything from $7000 to $15,000. Are the Crown sections due to be released next year going to be too dear for the workers to buy?" He asked if it would be possible for the borough council to use its powers to compulsorily acquire land from the Crown for future housing development. Mr Kiddle: "It is a possibility, I suppose, but I would have to study the

necessary Act." He said the Crown, did not have a great deal of land left around Taupo that was suitable for residential sections. The Maori-owned Rangatira B and C blocks to the west of Taupo — at present the subject of a Royal Commission of inquiry — were crucial because the town's water and sewerage systems were designed to serve that area at a reasonable cost. The Mayor, Mr C. S. Currie, welcomed a motion passed by the meeting that the Chamber of Commerce support the borough council in its efforts to get mbre residential land. "We are going to the end of our wits to pursue this particular question, and I would like to see the chamber push very hard — perhaps directly to Government — to give impetus to the borough's efforts," said Mr Currie. Mr W. B. Keys said there was more likelihood of making progress if executive members approached the Government directly, rather than writing letters. His recommendation that a deputation go to Wellington was accepted unanimously by the meeting.