Auckland “Paper Roads” To Become Real Streets

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27875, 25 January 1956, Page 7

Auckland “Paper Roads” To Become Real Streets

**Th« Press” Special Service

AUCKLAND. January 16. Blockhouse Bay’s notorious Block 76 will not get a much-needed tarring and sealing until negotiations concerning the adjustment of property boundaries are completed, streets and reserves formed, and drainage installed. The 77-acre block has involved the Auckland City Council in many years of negotiations, paperwork, and arguments.

On official maps. Block 76 is shown as a nicely-balanced subdivision with nine streets in a perfect grid. The streets are named Exminster. Alleway, Steward, Pembroke. Govan, Rathlin, Colombo, Rangihoua and Windermere. Unfortunately, the streets have not been dedicated and do not legally exist. They were laid out, apparently with a ruler, regardless of contours, and have not been formed.

The laying out was done in 1858, presumably by or on behalf of the then owner, at the time the original deeds plan was drawn up. Exminster street, the longest of the thoroughfares, has power poles along its entire length, but is little more than a bush track.

It would be impossible to drive a bulldozer over it, let alone a car. The other “paper streets” are little better. A motorist, blundering into Block 76 at night, would probably be halted by gorse. of Files City council engineers have long been interested in the history of Block 76, which fills a stack of files 18 inches high. It was originally, in the 1840’s,

intended as an alternative fishing village site to Onehunga. That plan fell through, and. according to the records, the land was bought and subdivided bv a Mr Stark. A deeds plan, dated 1858. shows the block fully subdivided into 52® lots, most of which were of 17 perches. Some were vertical pieces of land impossible to build on. The council when it acquired the block, could fit in only 100 sections. The remainder of the land could be used only as reserves after considerable filling. Mr Stark had the roads of Block 76 drawn on his subdivision plan. He kept title of them and allowed lot purchasers right-of-way. Homes were built. At one stage there were 54 houses on the block, ranging from shanties to substantial farm houses. The buyers, to get access, made roads. From then on through the years, the arguments have proceeded. As ratepayers, the residents demanded road service. As the Avondala Road Board administered the area.

much of the arguing came its way. The board at least gave the streets names and probably, as the city council has done since, placed occasional loads of shingle on the worst patches. In 1949 the city council decided to buy Block 76 and develop it. This was done, and a new subdivision plan was drawn, adjusting section boundaries and obliterating all but three of the phantom thoroughfares. A contract to form Exminster street, the only road that will be left in its entirety, has been let and work is under way.