CITY BOUNDARY “ILLOGICAL”

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25547, 15 July 1948, Page 6

CITY BOUNDARY “ILLOGICAL”

The present city boundary was irregular and illogical, Mr Somers said. It protruded with odd corners into adjacent counties, and these in turn had pockets running into the city. New Brighton and Sumner districts were attached to the city by a legal physical contact only. New Brighton’s connexion being an unformed towpath along the river, and Sumner’s a point contact at McCormack’s Bay in the Estuary. Both were practically separated from the centre of the city by Heathcote county, and similarly, Heathcote county was divided by the citv and the Estuary. There was no difference in the habits of the people to indicate varying local authorities. A person could make a semi-circular trip around the west of the city from Beckenham through the protruding part of Heathcote county, north-west through Soreydon in the city, north through Riccarton, north-east through Fendalton in Waimairi, and east in St. Albans in the city again, without finding anything to suggest that four local authority districts had been traversed. There appeared to be an increase in the rate at which areas were added to the city, Mr Somers continued, and generally the areas added from counties were poorly developed. In practically every case the installation of such amenities as water supply, channelling. asphalt paths, and good readme were required, and usually the vmrk was done in a reasonable period. The more easily financed areas in the counties were left with the counties. “Indiscriminate Additions” With indiscriminate additions to the city of poorly developed land it was impossible to plan works ahead, said Mr Somers. He mentioned that the water supnly system had been extended at times to a certain boundary, and it was found soon after that further extensions were necessary. That could c?use. and had caused, unwise and unnecessary expense. “The City Council feels that its boundaries should be stabilised for a long period—say. 25 years—so that it can produce a plan of long-term development.” the witness continued. ‘Additional land is required by the city if normal expansion is to take J^ acant land is now almost unobtainable. For some years largp factory sites have not be°n available in tne city, and the position tor house sites is now reaching the same stage * A quick check of aerial photographs nas been made, and it. seems safe to say that there are not more than about

1000 empty, usable sections to be found in the city. Practically all of these are being held for specific purposes by the owners. A good guide for the location of future and fixed boundaries was the zoning plan produced by the Metropolitan Town Planning Committee as a basis for 25 years. It provided for a population of 250.000. a figure which it was thought would be reached within 25 years.

Rural Areas The proposed city boundary departed from tne zoned built-up area in several places. Mr Somers said. The amendments were made for a clearer boundary line, for better access, or for better administration. The biggest variations were in the Heathcote county, where two large rural areas included in the proposed city. The first area was south of the Avon to the hills and east of the centre of the city. The district separated the New Brighton area, and could obviously be more easily administered by the city.

% Much of the land was low, difficult to dram, and unsuitable for housing. A fair portion of it was occupied by the dramage farm and cemeteries, it was an area which could never be built up to a high municipal standard on its own finance, but the city recognised that it should be prepared to shoulder the burden of some such areas.

ruraJ area of Heathcote was the hill area from the flat land to the watershed, and had been included for drainage reasons. If the city controlled drainage it should control the vital part of the catchment area of the Heathcote river. At the west of the pronosed city a triangular area which included Islington had been included, partly to allow, better access on .existing roads, and partly to allow for possible industrial development along the railway line. • areas in Waimairi had been included to give a more uniform boundary, and at North Beach the boundaries bad been swung to the north as the land had been subdivided, and building was likelv to take olace Good control of the land was necessary for the protection of timber plantations further north. It mifht be claimed that the nroposed citv was too large for efficient municmal control. Mr Somers said, but the farthest point west, was about the same from the centre of the ci tv as Sumner township and no difficulty had been found m administering Sumner.