Access To Highways

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30629, 21 December 1964, Page 12

Access To Highways

The Minister of Works (Mr Allen) spoke for the rights of a few landholders when the National Roads Board discussed the threat to the efficient use of State highways caused- by the construction of commercial buildings such as supermarkets on the frontage. The rest of the board spoke for the majority who use the roads and pay for their construction and improvement. Since Mr Allen reserves the discretion to judge whether direct access should be provided to a building, we hope he will exercise it with more responsibility than his comments at the board meeting suggested. He should have no doubt about the extent to which such buildings can defeat the purpose of highways, nor about the extent to which inadequate planning for limited access roads eventually leads to greater expense for new highways.

With motorways there is no argument: there is no access. When other highways are planned, some indirect access should be provided wherever possible for property adjoining the through road. If that is done, Mr Allen and the board will not have to worry about the rights of individuals to use land as they wish. If, for example, such a subsidiary road had been made when Blenheim road was constructed as a quick route out of Christchurch, business premises would not now be discharging traffic along its whole length. Blenheim road itself would have been much more effective than it is today and Riccarton road would have been relieved of more traffic. The result of the omission is that soon a costly new highway will be necessary. The Christchurch master transport plan recognises this principle and provides for appropriate subdivision limits along major roads and for the minimum number of points of access. The individual has the right of reasonable access to his land; but the roading authorities must have the right to say how that access shall be given.