GREATER NORTH SHORE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 65, 17 March 1915, Page 8

GREATER NORTH SHORE.

. ] PROPOSED NEW COUNTY. « i .... . i TRANSPORT AND -WATER \ SUPPLY. i (By F. E. POWELL, A.M.I. Mech. E.) The movement, begun sonic lime ago, to bring- the North Shore borouglis into closer onion, appears to have languished i in spite of an association formed with : that object. To one who regards com- ' bination as a step in the right direction | tnis is regrettable, but inevitable if. as the writer believes, nj definite scheme was formulated. It is not that those ' concerned had cot the courage oi their convictions, hut that a too-restricted view was taken in assuming that the four boroughs only were concerned, and that these would merely continue to grow as residential suburb-;. A little study of a map shows that the boroughs are to a great extent separated, ami critics of the amalgamation proposals are naturally sceptical of the results. If, however, a considerably larger district be included the proposition becomes a very different one. no; on account of size, but because several exceptional features suggest possibilities of development not hitherto considered. A discussion of these features, it is thought. might supply an incentive towards a definite plan of action on which all parties could concentrate with more enthusia.-m. A NEW COUNTY. Before dealing with these special conditions the position should be made clear as to the new constitution. For ihis purpose the accompanying map has been prepared, and from this it will be Been that an area of approximately 32 square miles, taking in the four boroughs and a portion of the Waitemata county, is suggested as a new administrative district. This area, almost wholly comprised within the Parish oi Takapuna, might become the county of Takapuna. with a Council elected by the whole of the residents. Local administration could be carried on by special eoinniiitees. using existing; Council offices for that purpose. A TOWN PLANNING OPPORTUNITY. Stated briefly, the proposals as a whole constitute a town planning scheme on a comprehensive scale. Doubtless the existing boroughs will retain their residential character, but it has not been realised that in course of time development must bring into existence a commercial centre with markets, industries, harbour facilities, etv.. and it must become a chief care of the Council to see that the location and progress of the town site are not left to chance, as in the past. In -addition, the Council will have to deal with the questions of tramway or light railway construction, water supply (sufficient tor a large industrial centre), electricity supply, public lighting, sewerage, the planning of new areas on garden city lines, development of the scenic attractions and parks, local markets, and —last but not least—the im : provenrent of existing and making of new roads. BRIDGE OR NO BRIDGE One item that is sure to come up for consideration is that of a bridge to connect with Auckland, but it is doubtful whether this w-ould tend at the present time to the development of the district. The cost would probably cover all the proposals about to be outlined, and it would be difficult to lay down a route that would satisfy even a quarter of those concerned. | "" ' "The real advantage of a bridge would be felt by a limited number of people . further out. who could be conveyed into town, and send their produce there more quickly than at present. This is rather Inimical than otherwise to the north I side development. On the whole it does not appear that a very good case can be made out »or the bridge at present, and the better plan for northern residents is to press forward the idea of autonomy for their, own side. It wou'd be better to aim at a system of tramways Unkind trp the and the new "industrial ! centre, where_ produce would be -diatrishipped, -as it is obviously more "economical-t&Jahd.- goods, coal, timber, and" other water-borhe.necessaries at one point "specially designed for handling them, and to distribute them by mechanic cal hanlage within the county. THE COMMERCIAL CENTRE. ? Tti planning the new industrial locality , , the policy would be to avoid the settled J£.£ residential areas while keeping it as ~zC- central as possible and accessible to all. -— Some of the inlets around .Shoal Bay, if reclaimed, appear to offer the best positions, and these are within reach of - deeper waters, where wharves could be built and sheds and cool stores erupted. However, tbe planning of the site will . depend upon natural conditions yet to be •■■ ascertained. {?■% INTERNAL TRANSPORT. Next to the above is the question of I:'/" i 2^ 1 " 1111 transport, and the linking up . of the various boroughs now so widely ;; separated, which is essential to % any ~ scheme of amalgamation worth the '.'.' ~ name. Owing to the very broken coast--;_line we have the curious fact that Birkenhead, Northeote, Bayswater, r. Devonport. 2»d so on. are all" so far • ™ separated by road tha;. they each seem ;.„ nearer to Auckland itself than to one - : another. This will be overcome by the _;_','. provision of a tram or light railroad ~~Z_. system, and by- the construction of em- - . bankments carrying roads and rails from point to point over the shallow mud flats. - Two of the most likely of j these- projects are shown in the plan, I from Northcote to Bayswater. and thence to Stanley Point. It will be I presently ,-een that these embankments serve a double purpose, fully justifying their construction. I The tram system will, of course, carry both passenger and goods traffic. It will run to every ferry jetty, and to the outer suburban districts wherever closeness of cultivation justifies its extension. Still further out the country will be served by motor wagons or by the railless trolley system now proving so successful at Home. All this presupposes good roads, and this again requires a powerful administrative body having financial ability to "undertake their construction. WATER SUPPLY. Under the assumed new conditions, with industrial requirements, the provision of an ample supply of water will be of first importance. Sooner or later the various boroughs will tire of spending money on water "divining," and will realise that the only water available in the county is the rain that ialls upon it, aud that it is sufficient and satisfactory, if properly conserved. The lake is a magnificent natural reservoir, tut it must be fed if it is to :&--»BJ^Wttu 3 sjvtßr.ihar l it .gets by surface - •* *

The source of supply already sug- I gested by the writer is the Oteha I Stream, which runs into the Albany River some 4i miles from the lake. This excellent stream drains about 2,700 acres, almost entirely uncultivated at present, and the natural conditions render it easy to retain the water, which could be pumped to a reservoir on the high ground near Cut Hill, whence it would flow to the other reservoirs. Alter- C natively, by the driving of a tunnel the L water could be taken direct to the lake c :by gravitation. __ The proper course to pursue in regard s to the catchment area is to plant it in h pine trees under a well-organised af- - forestatiou system. By this means the 1 scheme becomes remunerative, is better v. I able to conserve the water that falls c upon the area, and offers possibilities t lin the way of absorbing labour in bad il I times. Incidentally, a huge park would jl be created, having the acknowledged jc j health-giving properties of a pine forest, i d POWER SUPPLY. | The problem of power supply may be | solved in an interesting manner, which j in one of the exceptional features al- j. ready alluded to. The map shows that J t the arms of Shoal Bay are transformed I into two separate lakes. The largsr . one can be made available for transport ;. by means of locks, which will keep Uj! the water level nearly to that of high tide. But if we permit the withdrawal ;. of. say. Ift of the depth of water during ebb tide, by passing it through suitable v turbines, about 1,000 horse-power can i. be obtained for some twelve hours a . day. Indeed, if means of storage were . adapted this rate could be largely in- I. creased. An objection to this is that the 1 1 power is not available all the time, but r the difficulty can be partly met in the j following manner. The other arm of ' r the bay can be used in the opposite fl way; that is to say, that during ebb { tide all its contents can be allowed v to escape through sluices, while the j { rising tide will be compelled to flow j-] into it through the turbines. These j. would be situated at Bayswater, and , would probably serve both purposes. I c There would still be short periods dur- I, i:ig which neither would be available, , and storage would have to be resorted v to. It is thus that the roadway em- L bankments may become good business , propositions in their dual capacity. , The other end of the district may be 1 served in the same way upon a smaller t scale. Here Nature has provided a sub- 1 station in the shape of the Albany River ( and dlelly-er's Creek, which together play . the relative parts of the two . arms of i Shoal Bay. The available power from < the Albany Kiver is 300 horse-power, and Hellyer's Creek is probably large enough ) to maintain this on the rising tide on the lines already suggested. There is, however, another string to the bow at this ] end of the district. Alongside each of , these creeks are hills where the formation of reservoirs would be a simple mat- • ter. The surplus power from the turbines during a large part of the day could be employed in driving high-effi-ciency pumps supplying water into these reservoirs, to be used again when the demand for power Is greatest. It should be remembered that all this can be done j at very high ratios of efficiency, and that depreciation of such machinery is low. In the case of the Albany River scheme the embankment would not serve the purr, pose of a road of importance at present, but the increased value of the land affected, together with the power I scheme, would make the project a finan- j cial success. One other point in favour I of this scheme is that it would supply the power to pump the water from the j suggested Oteha reservoits, especially as certain stages of the tides not otherwise I available could be thus utilised. Still I another advantage will appear when tbe ! proposed forest of pine trees on the j water catchment area begins to mature. The logs will be taken to the nearest water—that in the Albany River—floated > down to the dam, and there sawn into the small timber required for packing cases and the like, by the same power, and distributed by water to the surrounding fruitgrowing districts where they are most required, with a minimum of cost. The reasons for the inclusion of the large area outlined as the proposed new county will now be understood, as it is obviously better to keep under one authority all the elements of a somewhat complicated system, which will only be satisfactory if worked as a whole. ROADS AND PATHS. Another item worth considering is the construction of "scenic" roads along the foreshore. By, these are not meant boulevards a hundred feet wide, but ' simple, well-made tracks or paths for pedestrians and cyclists. They would supply a want that ought to be felt, and wuuld soon be appreciated. It should at anyrate be possible to walk from Devonport to Chelsea along such a road, with delightful views of the harbour at every turn. Wellington is ahead of us in this particular, with no advantages whatever in poinf. of scenery or case of construction. THE FINANCIAL ASPECT. And how is all this to be carried out! Even the sympathetic reader has been asking the question from the lirat par.v gtaph on. If the proposals are capable of leading to practicable and desirable results, there ought to be a means of uiidi rtaking them financially, and witli all deference to the views of fina.ni l-.l experts, I will indicate a 6chetne that seem:, reasonable. In order to be thoroughly successful ni.ir.y of the items should be undertaken li.multaneousjy. Obviously this is beyond the means of the existing population. Even then some years must elapse before returns can be expected, but there ca ibe no doubt as to the ultimate result, by which not only the province, byt New Zealand as a whole, will benefit. The proposition is, therefore, that the Gov.'•"i'nient should undertake the scheme as an investment, over which it would hold i mpie security, the interest and sinking fund charges being set back until results begin to show. If it is argued that this U a novel or dangerous procedure, one cm only remark that no town planning expenment of magnitude is likely to be . carrifd out in New Zealand except by Government backing, and if our interest in that art is more than superficial, t'i»re is ::o more promising opportunity for iis excrete. With this I may leave it fj the imaginations of my readers to picture the bright future in store for Auckland's North Shore city.