INDUSTRIAL ZONE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 213, 8 September 1944, Page 3

INDUSTRIAL ZONE

CITY DEVELOPMENT

FREEMAN'S BAY CONGESTION

The contention that the Fair Rents Act prevented the development of the existing heary industries area in Auckland was made in a letter received at last night's meeting of the City Council from a firm which outlined its difficulties in obtaining premises for a business in the area. It was stated that there were a large number of poor houses in the Freeman's Bay district, the demolition of which was made difficult because of the poorness of the area, the number of owners involved and the difficulties of obtaining possession while the Fair Rents Act remained in force. If the heavy industrial area could be enlarged, the letter stated, and a light industrial area formed around it, a large portion of the Freeman's Bay area could be developed with modern factories. This would have the effect of removing a bad slum area. The parts included in the different factory areas, however, would have to be sufficiently large to prevent land prices rising unduly, and some relief from the Fair Rents Act would have to be obtained when the land was required for factories. If the areas could be reasonably enlarged, and some modification of the Fair Rents Act obtained, the area should develop rapidly as a factory area and the present slum district would be gradually removed. It was appreciated that it would be difficult to obtain an amendment of the Fair Rents Act at the moment, but consideration might be given the matter in post-war planning. Most of the present heavy industrial area was leasehold, stated the letter. If Auckland was to advance as an industrial centre, comparatively cheap freehold land was required. The Penrose district presented transport and workers' housing difficulties to the small business. Most Important Issue The city engineer, Mr. A. J. Dickson, reported that the issue was most important, and that the present state of affairs had been referred to on several occasions, when" reports were made on housing and town planning questions. The heavy industrial district within the city embraced the whole of the eastern and western reclamations, the Freeman's Bay area up to Cook Street, and the lower Parnell area, including the Strand and St. George's Bay Road up to Garfield Street, a total of 204 acres. Taking all factors into consideration, said Mr. Dickson, it seemed possible that in the draft zoning scheme prepared for the metropolitan area, there was an over-zoning for industry to the extent of at least 35 per cent. This had been rendered inevitable by the promiscuous way in which factories had been scattered about the city and suburbs in the past. Rigid enforcement of the zoning scheme, which had set aside an area 550 acres in excess of the estimated requirement in the next 25 years, was essential, and it was necessary to resist any suggestion that the industrial areas, as at present constituted, should be further extended. No Extension Possible It was difficult to see how an extension of the heavy industrial district as suggested would meet the situation, unless such extension could be made into undeveloped lands. All lands adjoining the E resent industrial districts were, owever, already fully built up. The main difficulty lay in the fact that the great bulk of areas zoned for industry in the city were occupied by decadent houses. The areas so zoned were most suitably situated for industrial purposes. Mr. Dickson recommended that the problem be referred to the Metropolitan Planning Authority for consideration and to the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Town Planning Board, with a view to the matter being taken up as one of Government policy. The council adopted Mr. Dickson's report.