Strong attack made on planning effort

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32563, 24 March 1971, Page 22

Strong attack made on planning effort

The Christchurch Drainage Board last evening made a strong attack on the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority. The board resolved to inform the authority that unless it can supply information requested by the board concerning areas of future development then large portions of future metropolitan Christchurch will be without sewerage.

Mr M. R. Carter said the resolution was a serious indictment of either the board or the authority and he was certain it was not the fault of the board.

“Christchurch has expanded greatly in recent years, but has fewer houses not on the sewer than any city of its size in Australasia —and probably farther afield.

“Yet in 10 to 20 years Christchurch will be facing a situation where large portions of the area will be unsewered because of lack of planning. “I am a member of the planning authority myself, but I can say that all is not well. The authority must plan ahead, and must provide broad guidelines for the next 20, even 50 years,” Mr Carter said.

“Some constituent members of the planning authority, local bodies, are considering withdrawing from the authority. “I don’t think we should just pass this motion and forget about it In 10 years, the public may be faced with areas not sewered, and we must let them know now that it is the planners who are to blame.” Lack of data Mr G. Ogilvie said that in 1968 the board had engaged consultants to outline the future requirements of the board’s area. The consultants had said they could not do that because of lack of data. The consultants had said

that a second sewerage system should proceed, but the population spillover from the urban areas must be estimated, and the directions of the spillover outlined. “We then approached the planning authority for their assistance. Now, nearly three years later, we have their answer—they cannot do it “Their moves in three years are in their reply—‘We have obtained permission from county clerks to undertake certain studies in greater Christchurch. With success, these will lead to reasonable assessment of likely or desirable locations and extents.’

Basic shape “We should tell the authority that it has got to get on the job it was established for,” Mr Ogilvie said. “It must plan the basic shape of Christchurch in the future, in detail, for the next 20 years and in broad outline for 50 years. “This can be done, and is done elsewhere.”

The chairman (Mr A. J. McTainsh) said that the board had a voice but not a vote on the planning authority. It was time the board was taken into the authority because it was in need of assistance in a big way in planning for sewerage. In a report to the board the chief engineer (Mr P. J. McWilliam) said that in July, 1969, a board sub-committee had met representatives of the planning authority to discuss town planning aspects in relation to the liquid waste study. __

Recently, the board had sent a letter to the director of planning (Mr C. B. Millar) seeking information on progress since July, 1969.

Long-term plan “The reply draws attention to the authority's difficulty in preparing a long-term, stage development plan because of the limitations of the authority’s area quite apart from the full commitment of staff on other studies. “This board is faced with a similar area limitation. Undoubtedly, as Mr Millar says in his reply, much of the future development can be expected to occur outside this board’s present area. “Provided that development occurs within reasonable distance of development serviced by the board, or could be dealt with jointly with development within the board’s district, then it would be most advantageous for it to be serviced by the one authority. “Whether this eventuates could depend on the Local Government Commission or on local authorities in whose areas the development was occurring, and a poll of residents and ratepayers in the areas.”

Sewerage needs Mr McWilliam said the board should continue to plan the provision of sewerage needs of present and future Christchurch urban areas and, as far as practical, that should be done in cooperation with the regional planning authority and territorial authorities. “The assistance Mr Millar would particularly require would be advice from the board’s officers on drainage aspects and future developments outside both the board’s and authority’s districts. “Provided the territorial authorities concerned raised no objections this could be done. It would involve quite a lot of staff time,” Mr McWilliam said. In the leter on which the engineer and board commented, the regional planning authority said that neither the board nor the authority would ever know the location and extent of development up to 50 years hence. Even by the most sophisticated methods, and at considerable expense, that had not been attempted anywhere in the world for more than 20 years in the future—and even then with considerable reservation.

Major sewerage proposals and commitments would themselves be a major influence in determining the extent and location of future development. The planning authority was endeavouring to have its region extended, thereby gaining more influence in guiding future development. “Although the board will not be able to obtain the information it wants the authority would very much like to discuss the matters,” said the letter.