STATE HOUSING ACTIVITIES

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23111, 29 August 1940, Page 8

STATE HOUSING ACTIVITIES

❖ .WIDER POWERS FOR DEPARTMENT CONSTRUCTING ACCESS ROADS [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 28. The purposes for which money in the Housing Account may be used are extended by the Housing Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day. The bill was described by the Minister foi Housing (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) as being "quite harmless but helpful to the Housing Department and local bodies.” The bill authorises the expenditure of housing money on the construction and maintenance of streets providing access to housing blocks on terms to be agreed upon between the State Advances Board and the local authority concerned. Money may be spent also on the construction, alteration or repair of garages, or flood protection works, and land may be acquired for access to housing blocks. Power is also given for payment from the housing funds of damages, compensation, or other costs involved in the acquisition or development of any land for reading access purposes. The Minister explained that the department could do the work itself, or assist a local body and deduct the cost from the rates payable by the department. Another clause in the bill authorises local authorities to consent to streets being less than 66 feet wide, but not le:; than 40 feet in cases where land is required to provide access to housing schemes. The last clause validates anything done In anticipation of the passing of the bill. Minister’s Explanation “This bill is necessary because the Housing Department has developed to a far greater extent than was anticipated when it was established about four years ago,” said Mr Armstrong when moving the second reading of the bill to-night. One of the purposes of the bill, he explained, was to give legal sanction to various things that had been done by the department in anticipation of the law, as well as to’things it was intended to do in the future. The Minister said he was sure the bill would be welcomed in many respects by local bodies, which were concerned to just as great an extent as the Housing Department. It was sometimes quite impossible for local bodies to cafry out necessary work in certain circumstances, and the bill Have the department power, in cases of that kind, either to do the work or to assist local bodies to do it. Replying to a question, Mr Armstrong said the department paid rates on housing properties as soon as a house was occupied. No Government department had ever paid rates before, and it was a fact that the Housing Department was still not _ legally bound to pay rates, although it would mean a serious loss to certain local bodies if it did not do so. Mr W. S. Goosman (Opposition, , Waikato); Do -you pay special as well as general rates? • The Minister: Yes. We pay all rates. { Dealing with the provision permitting relaxation of the 86 feet width for roadways. Mr Armstrong said the department complied with the Municipal Corporations Act on that point in respect of all roads that were likely to carry any traffic at all. “What strikes me most about the bill is its encroachment on the functions of local bodies,” said Mr A. EJ Jull (Opposition. Waipawa). “Surely the Minister could have referred it to the Municipal Association for its comments on certain aspects.” Mr Jull said he wished to draw the Minister’s attentibn to the fact that the whole of the activities of the department were centred in towns and cities, and claimed that no consideration was given to workers in country districts, ■who had no opportunity of getting homes under the Housing Act. There was a clamant need for better housing facilities for rural workers, while even in towns many people could not / obtain houses because they could not convince the department v that they would be able to. pay the rent. Mr T. H. McCombs , (Government. Lyttelton) said that last year a record number of houses had been built ill New Zealand. Mr Goosman: At a record cost. Mr McCombs continued that if the findings of the housing survey were followed 30.000 to 40,000 new houses were needed. The bill was briefly discussed in committee and passed.