CITIES OF THE FUTURE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 40, 9 August 1911, Page 8

CITIES OF THE FUTURE

DOMINION TOWN-PLANNING. THE GOVERNMENT'S BILL. POWERS FOR LOCAL BODIES. By Telegraph —Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Hon. Mr. Fowlds moved the second reading the Town Planning Bill.

The outstanding feature of the measure is the provision to enable municipal bodies to carry out schemes for the improvement of the towns under their jurisdiction. The Bill is applicable to the whole of the Dominion,

and all town-planning schemes are to be examined 'by an advisory body and sanctioned byv the Government before they are carried out. The schemes which may be carried out under the provisions of the measure are classified as follows:—The laying-out and construction of roads and streets and the stopping of any road or street; the laying-out and construction of drainage and water supply schemes; the lighting of roads and streets and public buildings; the setting apart and laying-out ot land for recreation purposes and public buildings (including public baths), and the erection of public buildings; the reclamation of land; the preservation of oibjects of historical interest, or ol natural beauty; the acquisition of land for any of the purposes of a scheme. A borough council which undertakes a scheme must define the area which it intends to benefit, but ample powers are proposed to obviate any obstruction of a scheme by artificial boundaries. The town-planning area may include the wkole of a borough, or only part of it, or it may include land adjacent to the borough. A comprehensive scheme for the whole of a town-planning area may be undertaken, or provision may be made for the improvement of defined areas. Any objections to the scheme will be considered by the town-planning board, which will consist of the Sur-veyor-General and four other persons appointed by the Government. This board will be merely an advisory body. The power to modify or to disprove of a scheme is retained by the Governor-in-Council. Even when a scheme has been entered upon it may be varied or revoked.

In those cases in which a, town-plan-ning area extends beyond the district of the council which prepared the scheme, the local authorities of the other districts must .be consulted. The responsibility of carrying out a scheme may be imposed upon one of the local authoritie* interested, or divided among them, or a joint committee of all the bodies. Compensation may be obtained if injury to property is caused by the carrying out of a scheme, but care has been taiken to safeguard the interests of the local authorities against unreasonable olain Where a town-planning scheme extends beyond the district of the council that prepared it, the responsible authority will be authorised to suspend by-laws, and to make new ones applicable to the whole of the area. In raising a Joan for a scheme, a poll of the ratepayer will not be necessary. Mr. Fisher said the Bill should be referred to every local body, and the expert opinion of their engineers should be obtained before the measure was placed on the Statute Book. He asked the Minister to refer the Bill to the Committee to get expert evidence. Mr. Myers supported the Bill, which, he said, could not be put into force to# soon, but he thought the Minister was wrong in applying the Bill only to places outside the present cities. The Hon. Mr. FowUls informed Mr. Myers that he did not propose to separate town areas from the provisions of the Bill, although this could be done later if desired. Mr. Myers suggested bringing out from Britain or the Continent an artistic town planner. Mr. Luke congratulated the country on having such a Minister as the Hon. G. Fowlds in charge of matters of this description. Mr. Luke said lie would not support the building up of a board consisting of civil servants. Mr. McLaren deplored the conditions obtaining in slum areas, and hoped the Bill under consideration would tend to alter the unsavory and evil state of affairs existing in those parts of the cities. He appreciated to the full the importance of the Bill, and considered a sound foundation should be laid for such measures. Mr. Poole moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at 10.50 p.m.