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LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION

Plan For Metropolitan Area EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL’S CLAIMS With new industries starting and immigrants being absorbed in the country, the need for planned development was more than ever apparent, said Mr George Griffiths, chairman of the town planning and building committee of the Christchurch City Council, to the Local Government Commission yesterday. To assist in the preparation of a final metropolitan plan for Christchurch, the State should, he said, give a definite decision and gazette the lines of the tunnel road to Lyttelton and the loop railway line from Styx to the main south route. He added that the Government should have prepared a regional planning scheme before town planning had started. Mr Arthur H. Jecks, the city waterworks engineer and assistant city engineer, said that in the greater- part of the areas suggested as suitable for inclusion in the city there was no public water supply. Frequent inquiries were received by the City Council for high pressure water. The City Council seeks to absorb the functions of the Christchurch Drainage and Tramway Boards, the Riccarton Borough Council, and parts of Heathcote, Waimairi, Paparua, and Halswell counties.

DIFFICULTIES IN ZONING

Cr. Griffiths agreed with Mr E. B. E. Taylor (for the Waimairi County Council) that Waimairi had developed a good park in Fendalton. If the metropolitan town planning scheme could be carried out without territorial amalgamations he would not be satisfied, as all services such as water supply, reading, electricity, and drainage had to be co-ordinated. The cost of the services was probably too heavy on an individual riding of a county. Questioned by Mr C. G. Penlington (for the New Zealand Refrigerating Company) on the Islington area which the City Council claims should come into the city, Cr. Griffiths said he thought the area should be included. There was motley development there at present, and the area could not be regarded as rural. He agreed that the city could not supply the quantity of water used bv the freezing works. While Cr. Griffiths was being crossexamined about areas zoned for heavy industry. Mr J. W. Andrews, a commissioner. asked: “Is not the trouble with planning the fact that areas are zoned for industrv. but the zones cannot be brought about because of residential buildings already there? At present vou can’t even pet rid of a shack which is already built.”

Cr. Griffiths agreed, and said he wished the Government would give local authorities newer to prevent the sale for residential purposes of land zoned for light industry. “From what local bodies have you not had the co-operation with the

metropolitan* town planning scheme that you expected?” asked Mr F. B. Stephens, counsel to the commission. “The Riccarton Borough Council,” replied the witness. “We laid down certain standards for subdivision of land, and it has come to my knowledge that Riccarton has approved certain subdivisions below the standards.” “Uneconomic Counties” There would be some uneconomic counties left if the City Council’s claims for amalgamation were successful, and some might find it almost impossible to carry on. said Cr. Griffiths to the chairman (Mr I. J. Goldstine). To his knowledge, the council had not considered the future position of the counties when it was preparing its* application, leaving that aspect to the commission. The chairman: Then the city has said: “Give us what we want, and let the counties, or what is left of them, work out their own salvation.” It seems, then, that it will be essential for the commission not to lose sight of the economic aspect. Although the supply of electric power was not a subject before th* l commission, it might arise later, added the chairman. Cr. Griffiths, to a further question, said he considered the original functions of a county council were to provide rural areas with reading and similar services. Mr S. A. Monk (a commissioner): Counties to-day have duties far beyond reading and bridging. I think vou must have an urban outlook.

CITY PARKS AND RESERVES

Many of the parks and recreation reserves under the control of the City Council were on or close to the city .boundaries, said Maurice John Barnett, director of reserves to the council for almost -20 years. In many instances the facilities of the parks were enjoyed by residents of localities'outside the city, although they or their local bodies did not contribute to the maintenance of the parks or amenities. Mr Barnett gave as examples the Botanic Gardens and llagley Park, which was used by players from all parts of the metropolitan area. Since taking over control of the gardens and the park, the

City Council had spent about £4OOO in repairs to houses and equipment. When the Domains Board controlled the two places the annual expenditure was dependent on the rate fixed by the Government, and whenever the board applied for an increase on the amount to be levied the contributing local bodies, other than the City Council, objected, and work was considerably hampered through lack of funds. Cross-examined by Mr J. D. Hutchison (for the Paparua Countv Council), Mr Barnett admitted that during the war maintenance by the Domains Board was hampered bv labour and material shortages.

HIGH PRESSURE WATER SUPPLY

Primarily for fire-fighting, Christchurch’s first water supply started in 1909 by a reservoir on the hills and a pumping station at the bottom of the hill, Mr Jecks said. Both installations were still used. Now the city had an excellent and continuous supply of pure water, pressure was good, and the system reliable. Nine main sources were distributed throughout the city, and additional water came from other public water supplies added to the city recently. The city was one of the few centres which did not have to restrict garden watering during the extremely dry weather last summer, Mr Jecks said. The flow for fire-fighting was excellent. On March 1, there were 30,785 connexions to the city water supply, the population supplied being estimated at 110,000. There were more than 280 miles of water mains, and some 750 miles of various sized pipes. Last year the average amount of water drawn from the supply each day was 6.219,300 gallons. More than 40 per cent, of the capital value of the waterworks—about £520,000 —had been paid for from annual revenue, and the remainder was paid for from loans. The loan indebtedness of £180,087 in 1947 would be reduced to £37.826 by 1953 and £16,598 by 1955, but the council had recently received authority to raise a loan of £120,730 for extensions in areas added to the city, and a loan of £150,951 for a new main reservoir and delivery mains. If the present rate of £3 15s per cent, ©f the annual rateable value was maintained, there would be more than sufficient funds to meet any charges on a loan needed to extend the supply into the areas suggested to be added to the city, provided construction work was spread over five years. Mr Jecks said that unless costs increased considerably, rate reductions could reasonably be expected Reticulation of New Brighton The delay in reticulating New Brighton, which joined the city in 1941. was explained by Mr Jecks. It was not considered that the work should be done during the war. he said. After the war the Local Government Loans Board gave permission for the work to be done, on condition that.there was complete co-operation with the Drainage Board, which had applied for authority to start sewerage reticulation. The board’s engineers had nbt yet decided on the levels of their mains in their areas, and until thev did the work ©f the council was limited. Water was supplied outside the city area to a number of institutions, factories and groups of houses, said Mr Jecks. I

“Money is being wasted to-day, as in i the past, in the installation of private > supplies because no public supply is avail- , able,” he continued “It is generally cheaper to pay city water rates and re- ; ceive a rebate in fire insurance prem- ■ iums, which is allowed when high press- • ure water is installed nearby. i “For planning it is desirable to envis- • age the ultimate development of a sysl tern. The 'Topsy-like* growth of the city water supply has been a wasteful and uneconomic process, and while the pre- ■ sent method of growth continues it is ‘ almost impossible to plan rationally.” Areas added to the city under the pre- : sent proposals could be incorporated into, and as extensions of the one water sup- ; ply scheme based on the present system. : continued the witness. It was not an- ; ticipated that the whole scheme would be necessary immediately as demand was expected to increase progressively. It might be that at first many properties with private wells would not draw on the public supply, but it was thought that i the same position might develop as in the “old city” where private wells were abandoned more rapidly than was expected Benefit to New Areas All outside areas would, he believed, benefit by inclusion in one scheme. Waimairi would benefit by better fire protection, a cheaper and better supply for new dwellings, and a more reliable alternative when individual units failed. Much of the Riccarton Borough was without high pressure water, and if it came into a the city the present variable pressure would be replaced by a more constant high pressure, there would be greater reliability, better fire protection, and more expeditious completion of the borough’s reticulation. The benefits to Paparua and Halswell County areas would be similar to those in Waimairi, said Mr Jecks. In Heathcote County, Cashmere, which had its independent supply, would obtain greater reliability when incorporated in the pity. Parts of Hillsborough were provided with water from the city, but generally would receive better fire protection and cheaper and better supply. Heathcote Valley, which obtained water from the Lyttelton Borough Council, would have a more plentiful and cheaper supply. The Bromley and Avon areas of the county would derive benefits similar to those of Waimairi. Mr Jecks said the future total capacity of the city’s elevated reservoirs would be 10.561.800 gallons. The present reserI voirs held 1,911,800 gallons.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19480721.2.76

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25552, 21 July 1948, Page 6

Word Count
1,694

LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25552, 21 July 1948, Page 6

LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25552, 21 July 1948, Page 6