Urgent call on plan for local growth

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34146, 6 May 1976, Page 18

Urgent call on plan for local growth

A plan of general growth in the Canterbury region was urgently needed, the chairman of the Canterbury Regional Planning Authority (Mr D. B. Rich) told a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last evening.

He said that unless the Planning Authority prepared some plan a dangerous vacuum would develop.

"The authority has, I believe, the full backing of local government to carry out this revue. The consequences of not taking action will mean that we are going to get urn planned development,” he said. “I think it is a matter of some concern in the community that we should not get back to a stage of unplanned and unco-ordinated growth.” “In the short term there was enough land for urban needs, but in the intermediate and long term we have got to plan for growth. The plan should consider

how far Christchurch should be allowed to grow, how much growth the smaller towns in Canterbury could take, and where new growth could be sponsored and initiated. The authority had done some studies already that that would help planning. It was working on a plan which envisaged a maximum urban population in Christchurch of 400,000 and an employment level in the business district of 60,000. “The authority is moving as quickly as possible to produce the best plan, and it must have the backing of local government and the community if the plan is to be successful.” He said he hoped an outline plan would be ready in about five months. Govt role There were obstacles in the way of the authority, including the shortage of staff, the iack of a nationally organised plan, a lack of continuity in the authority’s area, a lack of appreciation of the time involved in planning ahead, and finally “One had to acknowledge that planning was becoming a political football.” The lead for regional planning must come from the Government, he said. “If we are to have effective regional planning we need to I have effective national planning. Every day we see examples of fragmented planning at Government level.” - He said one of the main roles of the Government should be in co-ordinating planning at its highest level.