Objection To “Bulldozer Tactics”

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32077, 27 August 1969, Page 7

Objection To “Bulldozer Tactics”

Council* were being bulldozed by authority of the Minister when they had indicated that they would rather not eome into the scheme, and he objected to those tactics, said Mr R. a T. Thompson, at a meeting of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority yesterday.' He was commenting on a' recommendation from the. chairman (Mr G. D. Griffiths) adopted by the author ' ity, that the Minister of

•i Works (Mr Allen) be Invited . I to use his powers under the ';Town and Country Planning '.Act to extend the authority’s j district , The authority was told that .’of nine councils, invited -to I join the authority, most ; i thought the time was inoppor- - tune. One said it was making I’more investigations, and ’three said proposals :by the Local Government , Commission should be awaited. ’ “if this authority had been functioning properly, and planning had been proceeding smoothly, many of these councils would have been prepared to come in,” said Mr Thompson. “The first obligation is for this authority to put its house in order." | Mr Griffiths said he took it i that the Crown would want to have discussions with the ’ councils, and the authority would also like to hold them. The councils concerned were dependant on Christchurch, as Christchurch was on them, and there were definite problems in the development of the city. The councils concerned are the boroughs of Lyttelton and Rangiora and the counties of Akaroa. Ellesmere, Malvern, Mount Herbert, Oxford, Rangiora and Wairewa. Mr Griffiths said that discussions had been held'with the Christchurch Drainage Board on the effects of the authority’s scheme review. It seemed certain that the boundaries of each authority should coincide, and that the area of immediate regional planning should be considerably wider.