Authority Agrees To Rural Zone Changes

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28929, 24 June 1959, Page 12

Authority Agrees To Rural Zone Changes

Allegations of “jiggery-pokery,” “bartering,” and “quiet and surreptitious putting one over” in breaking down principles on rural zoning were made at yesterday’s meeting of the Christchurch Regional j Planning Authority.

Tthe authority decided by six j votes to three to instruct its solicitor to advise the appeal j board that it had no objection Ito excluding from the rural zone 1240 acres of land lying between i Memorial avenue and Sawyers i Arms road in place of land included in the rural zone in Heath-

icote county. ; Although associate members of the authority take part in discussions, decisions are reached only on the vote of the representatives of the controlling local bodies. ' When the executive recom- ( mended this course. Mr R. C. Neville (Christchuch Drainage Board) said he felt the authority was trying “to put one over, quietly and suppertiously.” Other bodies might have objections as they were intensely interested in the use of rural lands. Mr E. J. Bradshaw said it was wrong for the authority to baiter land. The decision should be left to the appeal board. By bartering, the authority Was undermining its planning. Given “Willy-Nilly” “I am astounded to see that the executive proposes to give 250 I acres willy-nilly." said Mr G. D (Griffiths (Institute of Architects) I The whole scheme was being given away. The ‘jiggery-pokery” (which had been going on behind I the scones was not right. If there i was to be any departure from a proper basis, a higher body than I the authority should decide. The i authority had a right to see that the right thing was done. Mr Neville: As I've said before. I I don't like the way it is being I done. • ( Mr J. Mackenzie (Halswell County Council) said the execui five had made a decision within its rights. He wondered who was the dog and who was the tail. Mr R. A. Witbrock said the local authorities were in the better position to know what was best within their own localities. Was the authority throwing away its principles in allowing the land : between Sawyers Arms road and i Wairakei road, including some of : the best market gardening land I in Now Zealand, to be subdivided? “You can now see what planining involves —it is most compli- | rated.” said Mr W. P. Glue, the chairman. To carry out ideals was (almost impossible. ( Mr Neville: But we ‘have to | keep on trying. Areas Built On It would be all right if some I areas were open but they were : built on. said Mr Glue. Town planning was the worst job he had. Mr J. I. Colligan (Waimairi County Council) said the recommendation was not a local one i but came from the regional planing executive. It was not a matter ■ of bartering but of taking the ' advice of a technical committee I on a regional question of providing for a density of population. Were they going to waste more money by having a further investigation? Miss N. Northcroft (regional planning officer) said in reply to I Mr Griffiths that this was the ! first occasion when the proposal I to exclude the Waimairi area from the rural zone had come before the authority. Mr Griffiths: I was right. Halswell Areas Also after a division, the authority decided tp exclude subdivisional areas on the city side • of .Halswell township from the rural zone and to include it in the township urban area. The authority had lodged an appeal against the county council’s i decision not to approve the

regional scheme, after the technical committee advised that the council's proposals were contrary to the town planning principles embodied in the scheme and that the appeal board should determine the issue. The county council offered, without prejudice, to exclude the area on the eastern side of Paterson avenue and the Centennial State highway (Halswell road), together with about 100 acres of the block surrounded by Halswell Junction. Quaife's and Saby’s roads from the council's proposed urban zone in the rural zone. The council desired that an area of three chains depth on those roads be included in the urban township area, together with the Cameron and Cunningham blocks. The area which Halswell wanted zoned as urban was big enough to require the installation of a sewerage system, said Mr Glue. Unless Ihc area was made economic for water and sewerage schemes, the county could not go ahead. Mi- Mackenzie moved that the county council's proposals be agreed to and the authority withdraw its appeal. Supporting the motion. Mr Witbrock said county councils were best able to decide what was best in a locality. On questions of drainage and sewerage, the counties could not be expected to know better than the Drainage Board, said Mr Neville “And. in fact, we know they don't.” he added. Mr W. L. F. Utley (city council) said the purpose of the urban fence was to restrict the area over which services had to be given. He could not see how acceptance of the Halswell proposal for a satellite town was adherence to the principles of the regional planning committee. “What can you do when sections are already built upon?” asked Mr Glue. Two Opponents Mr Bradshaw said he would oppose any decision being made without reference first to the authority’s technical committee. “From a practical point of view, how long will it be before Halswell will have a sewer?” asked Mr Utley. Mr Colligan said Upper Riccarton was only three miles and ahalf from Cathedral square and it was not yet sewered. “I think it will be anything up to 30 years and it would be wrong to contemplate a densely populated area of 3000 without a sewer," said Mr Utley. “It would be a disgrace to any locality in the world. You cannot practise preventive medicine unless you have sewers.

“You should not go ahead with building until sewers are in. We have examples of that all round. In 1956. an epidemic of salmonella affected Hoon Hay. Hornby and Belfast, all without sewers, and it was impossible to control it. The epidemic died a natural death.”

The area was already subdivided and permits to build were granted every day of the week, said Mr Glue.

. “What are you going to do about it?" asked Mr Glue. “If you are to stop building until sewers are in. there will be a row.”

Replying to a long debate Mr Mackenzie said the sewer was already close to the area.