MOTORWAY VICTIMS Former Commissioner Wants More Action

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31141, 18 August 1966, Page 18

MOTORWAY VICTIMS Former Commissioner Wants More Action

“The Tress" Special Service

WELLINGTON, August 17.

The chief land purchase officer of the Wellington office of the Ministry of Works, had, acting on the instructions of his superiors, stated coldly that the Ministry had washed its hands of responsibility for finding alternative premises for tenants ordered to leave to make way for the proposed Thorndon motorway, said Mr F. M. Hanson, a former Commissioner of Works, yesterday.

“Neither is timely and practical hope held out by the Wellington City Council. Mere professions of sympathy carry no weight with people who are being pressed to get out,” he said.

“If the legislation behind which the National Roads Board is sheltering makes no provision for assistance for those in need of help then the legislation should be altered. And the move should come from the Minister of Works,” said Mr Hanson. The same legislation applied when owners and tenants of homes and premises were called upon to make way for the city airport some few years ago, but none then were left in such cold, unsympathetic fashion to fight

their own ways and to suffer financially, he said. “The fact is that this is a matter of attitude, not legislation,” Mr Hanson said. “We read of deputations, committees and more committees on the rehousing of displaced persons, but still nothing happens.”

In addition to the disturbing loss of homes, there was the disappearance of small shops and businesses; some were run by returned servicemen and one by a refugee from Poland who had already suffered enough for one life. Beginning from scratch, those men and their wives had built up worth while livelihoods and had served their district well. Now they were to get out. There would be for them no compensation, no good will, or any form of re-establishment aid.

So callous an attitude was really quite shameful, Mr Hanson said.

In the case of some shops along the proposed line of the motorway a yawning gulch would separate shops from their present customers. Here again the small shopkeepers (and the housewives) would be out of luck, for it had been officially stated that no compensation would be forthcoming in respect of any interest not directly involved in the building of the motorway.

“Many of the people who are losing their homes and properties are blaming the land purchasing staff of the Ministry of Works. That is unfair. The blame lies on higher levels,” said Mr Hanson.