Cr opposes 5-acre subdivisions

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32522, 4 February 1971, Page 10

Cr opposes 5-acre subdivisions

“Before long I’ll be going home all the way from Rangiora in a 30-mile-an-hour area if these things continue,” said Cr A. C. W. Mclntosh at the Ashley County Council’s February meeting, referring to the small residential farmlets being created through subdivisions, especially in the Loburn district.

It cost no more to buy five acres in the country to build on than a section in the town this was what attracted persons out from the towns, Cr Mclntosh said.

“Maybe it’s all right for the council, which gets more in rates, but it’s no good for the country. The only thing to do is stick up the minimum area to 25 or 50 acres; they can’t afford this much at $2OO to $3OO an acre.”

Much of the land on the five-acre sections was going out of production because the new owners were not using about four acres and threequarters of their land and were letting this “run wild,” said Cr T. A. Judson. There was a petition before tne council todav for sealing of Pnssiters Road in Lobum, wh, e land had been split up into small lots, and soon the council would be getting requests for rubbish collection and the like, said Cr Mclntosh.

But have we got the right to deprive these people of the privilege of living out

there in the country?” asked Cr T. M. Fleming. It was possible that with the increased price of petrol, some persons contemplating buying a five-acre country section might not be so keen to come out, said Cr B. W Rodie.

The council decided to seek from Eyre County Council information about that council’s adoption of 25 acres as the minimum area for subdivision and whether the larger minimum area has slowed subdivisions of this sort