Local Bodies Asked To Support Traffic Plan

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29984, 20 November 1962, Page 14

Local Bodies Asked To Support Traffic Plan

Representatives of constituent councils of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority gave their support “in principle” last evening to a proposal that the authority should be the co-ordinating body to develop the master traffic plan. The majority were not prepares to go as far as Mr A. R. Guthrey (City Council), who proposed that they should take a chance and authorise the authority to advertise for the staff needed for the plan. They objected that they could hot commit their councils to financial arrangements.

Mr E. J. Bradshaw, the chairman, told the representatives that one co-ordin-ating organisation should be responsible for developing the plan to the stage of proving and completing the geometric design of proposals. The Minister of Works (Mr Goosman) and the National Roads Board, which would be responsible for a large part of the financing of the works in the plan, favoured the authority acting; and the board would give favourable consideration to a request for financial assistance, he said. Additional staff would be needed. This would cost, in addition to ordinary contributions of l/50d in the £ of capital value, approximately £9OOO a year in the first stage (until the plan had been approved by the authority and councils) and approximately £15,000 a year during the detailed design stage. The cost of the plan so far was £25,250. and the authority had met £25,000 of it from the ordinary levy on councils, he said. More Staff Estimates of additional staff were:—first stage, a regional planning engineer, traffic engineer and two traffic engineering assistants; second stage, another planning assistant, another traffic engineer and three more traffic engineering assistants. Auckland and Wellington had applied for subsidies from the National Roads Board towards the cost of preparing their master plans, Mr Bradshaw continued, and as Christchurch had largely done its own work, he thought it could reasonably expect the Roads Board to be generous in furthering the plan. While the City Council had not discussed the plan yet—it was holding a special meeting—it was reasonable to assume that it would accept the offer of the authority to undertake responsibility for the scheme, Mr Guthrey said. “We are entirely behind you.” Mr R. T. Smith (Kaiapoi) said he was sure his council would welcome the authority's completing the planning His council, however, was

involved with commitments over the new northern motorway, and that must be considered when costs were apportioned. Representatives of Halswell and Riccarton said their councils would undoubtedly support the scheme; but Mr C. D. Le Compte (Heathcote) had some misgivings about the staff to be engaged. "What is the ultimate objective of the authority?” he asked. “You have said you are not going to build an empire. We would like to see the finish of the plan, but planning done now can be upset in years to come. I would rather see money spent on the work, rather than on planning.” When the technical advisory committee recommended the additional staff, it looked on planning as a continuous thing said Mr D. J. Edmondson, the regional planning officer. For the geometric design it was not known how long the work would take, but it could run into several years, possibly seven. Outer Areas After Mr J. E. Honrell (Eyre) had sand there was some interest whether there should be any contribution from aireas where no work was to be done, Mr Edmondson said while the present plan involved only the area south of the Waimakariri river, it tied into possible future work. With the concentration on the master •traffic plan, some other aspects of regional planning had been delayed, and the authority wanted to get on with that work.

If there was no contribution from the Roads Board, Waimairi would be paying £l6OB for the first stage, Mr Bradshaw said. "What would you get for that? I would suggest one draughtsman and how far would you get with the work in the plan that is to your county?” An approach must be made by the authority with the full approval of the local bodies, he said. While he could not suggest figures he thought 75 per cent, of the cost might be a reasonable Roads Board contribution. Outside the city’s contribution of £lO,OOO. the greatest for the second stage was £2691 and the smallest £B3 if there was no Roads Board assistance, Mi' Guthrey said. Recalling Mr Bradshaw’s remark that traffic engineers were scarce and that staff would probably have to be recruited overseas, he said that if the authority had to wait for each council to make a decision it would be three months before there was any action. “Chance” Favoured

“The planning cost is infinitismal compared with the real cost of construction —‘this is just chicken-feed,” Mr Guthrey said. “Let’s take a chance for the benefit of the people of Christchurch and say we will take the responsibility of proceeding with this.” His motion that the meeting authorise the authority to proceed with the engagement of staff was seconded by Mr H. R. Williams (Halswell), who said: “We realise that Halswell enjoys the privilege of Christchurch streets and roads and that without Christchurch there wouldn’t be a Halswell, so we have pleasure in seconding a motion to get on with the job.” Several representatives objected that they could not bind their councils to expenditure. Agreeing that they could, not commit councils, Mr Bradshaw said it would be improper to put the motion.

“What happens if one council does not agree?” asked Mr J. H. Weaver (Papanua). “If there is an odd man out you may expect me on your doorstep every day of the week for so many weeks as it takes to bring you into the field,” Mr Bradshaw replied. Mr J. I. Colligan (Waimaari) wanted an approach to the Minister and the Roads Board to see what their contribution. would be before there was a further approach to the councils. Otherwise councils could be giving the authority a blank cheque, he said.

Mr Colligan proposed and the meeting agreed to support to principle the proposal that the authority should be responsible for carrying out the first and second stages of the development work and that councils should give their decisions within a month.

“I have never known what support to principle means but it always sounds encouraging,” commented Mr Bradshaw.

He urged the representatives to consider the importance of the work for Christchurch, and said there would be considerable chaos if it was not done and carried to a further stage without delay. What happened in the centre of Christchurch would affect those on the outer fringe just as much as those on the inside, “and we should ail be in this for the good of

Christchurch and our own interests as councils over the years,” he said.