Environment impact reports from March

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33382, 14 November 1973, Page 18

Environment impact reports from March

LWw Zealand Press Association)

W ELLINGTON. November 13.

The Cabinet has approved procedures for environmentalimpact reports, which will have to be supplied before the Government makes a decision on projects affecting the environment and involving Government funds. Many local-body and private-enterprise projects will also be subject to the requirements.

Announcing this today, the Minister for the Environment (Mr Walding) said that the Cabinet decision implemented a General Election promise. “It is a most important decision for the New Zealand environment,” he said, “and it breaks new ground in providing the public with an opportunity to advise and comment before a decision is taken on a project which might significantly affect the environment. Mr Walding said that in July he had invited public comment on draft environ-mental-impact assessment procedures. More than 150 replies were received, and, in the light of these, the procedures had been revised, and would come into effect on March 1. 1974. Field covered 7he new procedures will apply to: The works and management ' policies of all Government departments which might affect the environment. All other proposed actions which might affect the environment and which are financed wholly or partly by money appro-; priated by Parliament, and included in a depart- I mental vote.

I The works and management policies of al] statutory boards, corporations and commissions which might affect the environment. and which are subject to Cabinet works committee programming. The granting by the Crown of all licences, authorisations, permits, and privileges which might have environmental implications. and which are issued pursuant to certain specified acts which have significant environmental implications. The provisions in legislation affecting the environment, including local bills such as reclamation empowering bills under the Harbours Act, 1950. Criteria for report All proposed actions in these categories would have to be assessed to determine their environmental consequences. Mr Walding said. If 'it were found that a particular action was likely to have a significant effect on the human, physical, or biological environment, a report would I be prepared. An environmental impact report will be prepared by the agency promoting the [work, and it will explain the need for the action, the ways in which it can be done, and the likely consequences for the environment. It will de-

Iscribe ways in which any i ■harm to the environment can | be avoided or reduced. The report would be pub- [ lished and made available for public comment in a period of 28 days, the Minister said. Comments would be sent to i the Commission for the EnIvironment, which would audit the report. It would consider any comments, and would seek any further information lit might require. The environmental impact report, the commission’s audit, and a report from the Treasury, would be considered by the Government before a decision was made on the work in question. ' Non-Govt projects Mr Walding said that the procedures would apply to a (number of decisions by the Government in relation to Inon-Govemment projects, for 'example, where grants or subsidies were involved. In this |way, some local-authority projects and private-enter-prise developments would be the subject of environmental reports. He hoped that local authorities would voluntarily adopt the procedures for all their projects which affected the environment, the Minister said. The Environmental Council, which had considered and approved the proposed measures, had recommended that a booklet be prepared for distribution, describing the procedures being adopted and the philosophy behind their introduction. “This is an excellent suggestion,” said Mr Walding, “and I have asked the commission to prepare a suitable publication.”

Motor-cyclist injured A young man was injured (when his motor-cycle struck la parked car in Annex Road, Addington, about 5 p.m. yesterday. He is Vincent Paul Joseph Daly, aged 17, of 36 Victors Road, who suffered head and leg injuries in the accident. He was in a moderately serious condition in Christchurch Hospital last evening.

Plans for a dualpurpose play-centre and community centre for : Cashmere have been [completed, and applications for the right to tender are being called. i The building will be on part of the Heathcote County Council’s four-acre Hollis Avenue reserve, between Hollis Avenue and Lansdowne Terrace. As a dual-purpose building, (the problem was to harmonise its uses as a play-centre for pre-school children and as a community facility for the recreational and cultural use of residents, the architect, Mr W. Taurau Royal, said yesterday. THE ENVIRONMENT i It was also important that I the building should fit in with jits environment, he said. The

building had been designed to fit in as closely as possible with the better-quality homes in the surrounding areas, and it had been designed to be as low as possible, to overcome i objections to the excessive ■heights of traditional hall shapes. As a community centre, the building would cater for a maximum of 300 persons, Mr Royal said. It would comprise a main hall, 54ft by 30ft, which would also be used as a play-centre. There would be four storerooms for play-centre equipment, and also for chairs, and possibly local club equipment. Opening off the entrance foyer would be three toilets and a urinal, with handbasins in the toilet areas. A cleaner’s room would also open off the foyer. COMMITTEE ROOM The building would include a committee room measuring

18ft by 15ft, and this room could also serve as a supper room. Attached to it would be a 13ft-by-Bft kitchen, Mr Royal said. Outside the building, through sliding doors from the main hall, would be a terrace area with a “Yogi bear” sandpit, and there would be an area for covered play at the end of the hall section of the building. Children playing in this area could be supervised from inside the building, as well as from outside, Mr Royal said. PARKING PROVISION There were established trees already on the site, but extra landscaping was envisaged, he said. There would be off-street parking for 21 cars. The roof of the building would be a combination of I steel frames and plywood, which would be surfaced on I the outside with a composi-i tion rubber material, and in- 1 side with an acoustic spray. The walls would be of exposed blockwork and timber, and the floor of vinyl-covered concrete. Heating would be by electric storage heaters and fan units, Mr Royal said. The illustration is an architect’s sketch of the proposed building.