Subsidy sought for plan

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33063, 2 November 1972, Page 12

Subsidy sought for plan

The Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association has applied to the Department of Trade and Industry for a subsidy in the financing of a feasibility study of a regional development plan for “the Canterbury area.”

The association will convene a meeting of local body and other interested organisations on November 15 at which W. D. Scott and Company, management consultants, will outline the study proposals. The president of the Manufacturers’ Association (Mr E. P. Chapman) said yesterday that both the major political parties supported regional development in their election manifestos. ‘‘POSITIVE POLICY” “It appears that after the election there will be moves to introduce a positive policy of regional development in New Zealand,” he said. “Therefore, we believe that in this local area we must

take the immediate initiative to prepare a plan for our regional development requirements, so that in any discussions with the new Government we know exactly what we require.” The present Government has allocated $50,000 for subsidising studies on regional development. The director of the association (Mr I. D. Howell) said yesterday that the application from the Canterbury area for a subsidy was the first one to be lodged. Mr Chapman said that the proposed study would not be another report. Rather, it was the next stage in the introduction of a regional development policy; a study to evaluate accurately those

factors that tended to inhibit growth in the local area and the opportunities available for its development. Mr Chapman said that a concerted effort by local bodies, the Lyttelton Harbour Board, the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, the Manufacturers’ Association, and ■ other interested organisations ■ was needed to prepare a ■ regional development pror gramme. ' FREIGHT COSTS “We believe that many of : the problems can be solved : by our local community once i they have been identified and s a method of solving them i ascertained, but there are • other problems, such as i freight costs, which will • need Government support j and participation. “It is the Canterbury s Manufacturers’ Association’s s view that any programme for : the development of our local : region should be largely built • upon the ability and prei paredness of local organisat tions,” he said.