Australian swamp plan for Chch housing

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32774, 26 November 1971, Page 15

Australian swamp plan for Chch housing

One of the major reasons for land between Burwood and the Heathcote Valley not having been considered earlier for urban development had been its low-lying nature, Mr P. Yeoman, a consultant engineer, told the Town and Country Planning Board on Wednesday, giving evidence on his Eastern Districts’ Scheme.

The only economic way to develop the land for housing was to obtain Alling material close at hand, Mr Yeoman said. This could be done by widening and deepening rivers: constructing inlets and lakes off existing rivers for fill supply, flood control, and boating and recreation; relating hillside and sanddune excavation to adjacent low-lying land; and making

available future productive land as Alling space for surplus material from engineering earthworks.

land was approved, the housing industry had experienced a critical shortage of land for State Advances Corporation approved houses.

The area of land on the flat part of Christchurch classed as unused land by the Regional Planning Authority amounted; in April to 5500 acres, said Mr Yeoman. During the period 1968 to 1971, when the creation of another 2000 acres of urban

Mr Yeoman said he agreed with the opinion of Miss Nancy Northcroft that only 82 to 85 per cent of the gross city area could be developed fully at one time. About 1200 single-unit dwellings were built on the flat in Christchurch each year, at a density of four per acre; some 300 acres of flat land was required each year, without counting the proportion of flats—about 700— built on newly created sections.

ULTIMATE ZONING Mr Yeoman said it was essential that the ultimate zoning of the eastern districts should be recognised as soon as possible, to allow for future rubbish disposal, sewerage works, drainage services, and provision of schools This was necessary to plan for their capacity based on their proposed catchment area.

The Eastern Districts Plan had been prepared using the principles of the Canal Estate development scheme on the Gold Coast of Queensland, which catered for all economic classes of the community, Mr Yeoman said The principle of the Eastern Districts' Scheme was to plan new residential suburbs, taking into account the need for recreational areas, industrial land, full and most economic use of existing services, and with all attention given to the ultimate environment, said Mr Yeoman. The scheme would involve consolidation of Christchurch’s development within logical topographical boundaries; dovetailing of land development earthworks and local body rubbish and filling programmes; removal of unsightly areas adjacent to and in sight of residential areas; improvement of the lower reaches of the Heathcote and Avon Rivers for recreational purposes, and removing the accumulation of long term pollution; and achieving a saving to Christchurch by developing land dosest to existing services.

TRAVIS SWAMP The Travis Swamp area of Burwood contained some SOO acres of low lying land, 150 acres being inside Christchurch City. It could well be developed for residential purposes as, contrary to popular belief, the foundations were good, said Mr Yeoman. By excavating the area to form inland lakes, coupled with a ring canal system and automatic gates controlling flows to the Avon River, fill for the land could be obtained economically, recreational areas provided, and flooding eliminated. “In this way, what is now a I useless problem area can become la desirable residential district of some 2000 homes, and In a similar form to that provided in Australia," said Mr Yeoman There was no doubt that the 70 acres of waste land between Bexley Road and the Avon River could be developed more properly as a residential suburb than as a council filling area, as under the present designation. The proposal was to raise the land level with filling from deepening and widening the Avon River, together with formation of a marina inlet adjacent to the Bexley bridge, Mr Yeoman said.

The Linwood Avenue-Ferry Road area would be developed to provide public open space, both for formal playing areas and vantage points of water sports on the Estuary, Mr Yeoman said. It would be zoned urban for Immediate use.

About one-third of the Ferrymead area was tidal mud flat and already some uncontrolled dimming had been done. Some 50 acres of land could be made [available for urban use, with 1 marina-style facilities alongside. Mr Yeoman suggested 1975 for ! a start on the Burwood area development (completion time, five years); 1974 for the Bexley area I (three years); 1972 for the Bromley area (five years); and 1972 for ■the Ferrymead area (five years).