REGIONAL TOWN-PLANNING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 293, 11 December 1929, Page 15

REGIONAL TOWN-PLANNING.

levy. manurewa board objects. Considerable discussion ensued at =fhe last meeting of the Manurewa Town Board, when a report -was read covering the recent conference of twenty Jocal bodies to discuss the subject of regional town planning. Mr. Mawson, Director of Town Planning, had outlined the proposal whereby a master plan would be compiled, embracing an area of 500,000 acres, and a population of 231,000. To enable a regional committee to function, a sum of £7000 would foe required, and-it "was suggested that thfe be obtained by means of a levy of 1.50 th of a penny in the £ over the area concerned. In the course of a general discussion, Mr. C. A. Fawcett stated that personally he wag opposed to the whole business; he considered that it would only create another addition to the Civil Service, purely a money-making scheme to provide somebody with a fat job. Mr. F. Barnard (a new member) asked what benefit was to be derived from the procedure. The chairman, Mr. Geo. Gallaher: Every local body has to prepare a plan to conform with the Act, and provision must be made for factories, also residential and shop sites. Mr. W. Ferguson: Must these shop sites be irrespective of the owners' wishes ? Mr. Fawcett: Yes, it's just another interference. The chairman stated that the main object was to avoid the haphazard method at present in vogue and make each district's plan conform with its neighbour's. Mr. Barnard agreed that-if the dis-. trict would eventually derive benefit from the scheme, it should be adopted, although it seemed hard in the meantime. Mr. F. Whyte expressed approval of the principle involved, but objected to any levy in addition to the .present enforced provision of elaborate detailed plans of the district. The chairman pointed out that the Director of Town Planning 'had stated that the existing Act would abolished or amended -within twelve months—"so where are we, we are quite in the dark." After further discussion the matter was deferred till the nest meeting of the board.