URBAN SPRAWL CONTROL

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 10

URBAN SPRAWL CONTROL

Housing Problem

Faced

(New Zealand Press Association) TIMARU, March 10.

“One thing that must Joe faced in the immediate future is the curtailing of what is commonly called urban sprawl,’’ said the president of the New Zealand Master Builders’ Federation (Mr Russell A. Ross, of Wellington, when addressing the fifty-eighth annual conference today. “One result of this would be that we must be prepared to build more blocks of homes and flats rather than the single unit on the traditional quarter acre section. It might even call for some reorganisation on the part of the individual members,’’ Mr Ross said. “At the rate of 20,000 houses a year, (and this figure will increase with our population), and an average of four houses to the acre, including roading and reserves. we are using some of our best land at the rate of 5000 acres a year.

“It is obvious that a country that depends on its land for its national economy cannot afford this luxurious use of our greatest asset,” Mr Ross said. “As it is in the national interest to conserve our better land for farming, I think the problem of developing our tougher land in districts where that becomes necessary should be tackled from a national angle. “We have a new Government and, perhaps, with it a new policy, and it is our duty to cooperate with the Government in implementing that policy. What we would like to see is a long term plan, a plan destined to bring a measure of stability to our industry. The problem of land development for building is one that must receive urgent attention and it will require long term forward planning.”

The effects of the removal of building control were now becoming apparent and the commercial side of the industry was able to function more freely and provide the buildings so necessary to keep pace with progress, Mr Ross said. A proper balance should be kept in the building programme between housing, commercial building and buildings for social services, and the best way to preserve that balance was to have as little in the way of controls as possible. Mr Ross advocated raising the loan limit to all homebuilders. Any gains made for cheaper designing of homes had been lost through slowly increasing costs of materials.

Referring to import controls, Mr Ross predicted that a reduction in imported timbers would cause a shortage in joinery materials. He also said there were likely to be increased labour difficulties through the need for more local production to replace imports. Government recognition of registration of master builders was necessary, he said. It had never been intended that registration should lead to a monopoly. Any builder who could work to a required standard would be able to register. He also urged the need for the training of a sufficient supply of builders and called for support for any scheme that would lead to greater efficiency in the industry. Some form of research was also needed, he said.