Changes After 14 Years’ Absence From N.Z.

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29906, 21 August 1962, Page 12

Changes After 14 Years’ Absence From N.Z.

The fourteen visiting vicechancellors of Commonwealth Universities have a leading geographer —a New Zealander, at that—as their unofficial guide He is Dr R. O. Buchanan, Deputy Vicechancellor of the University of London, professor of geography at the London School of Economics, and treasurer of tihe Association of Univer. sities of the British Commonwealth. “It was not always so,” Dr. Buchanan said of almost every topic he discussed with some of his colleagues on their arrival tn Christchurch last evening. He has not been in this country for 14 years (he was a visiting professor in Christchurch for a year) and these are devlopments which pleased him:— Hotels: “I know it Is a threadbare topic but I notice how much service (which is admirable) and comfort have improved. Staff are willing, pleasant, and cheerful.” Tourism: "This country seems to have caught on, at last, to its enormous potential and I’m delighted to see that overseas visitors are being catered for.” Roads: “The National Roads Board has made exceptional advances and even backibloeks roads are well maintained.” Driving: “Motorists seem more skilful and courteous.” Agriculture: “Farms seem to be in beautiful order and

productivity seems to have increased.” Population: "I don’t see much change, apart frorti new buildings, in the main centres, but the explosion of population has brought fantastic new housing in suburbs a long way out." Dr. Buchanan said he thought New Zealand should not delay serious thought and action on town planning. “With a population of three-quarters of a million, which I knew, you could enjoy residential sections of a quarter-acre or more,” he said. "With 2.000.000 you might still get by. But with prospects of 5,000,000 it’s time to start changing the tradition. “This country can get crowded, especially when you remember that about threequarters of the South Island is mountainous. I think about 70 per cent, of the population is in urban areas and that proportion is going up. “You can’t afford to put bricks and mortar over too much fertile, flat agricultural land,” said Dr. Buchanan. "At some stage soon you've got to start building accommodation upwards.”