Government’s ‘about-face’ criticised

Press, 1 June 1977, Page 10

Government’s ‘about-face’ criticised

Parliamentary reporter “The Government’s about-face on Rolleston is proof that its 1975 election policy was purely political and designed to play up and exploit emotionalism and prejudices — and not based on a realistic appraisal of the urban growth and development needs of the Christchurch region,” said the Member of Parliament for Wigram and former Minister of Works and Development (Mr M. R. Connelly). He was referring to the announcement that the yinister of Works and Development (Mr W. L. Young) has adivsed the Ellesmere County Council that sufficient land should be retained adjacent to the present township of Rolleston for a population of 20,000. “Members of the public, local authorities, architects, and building and construction and other commercial interests, opposed to the abandonment Of the Rolleston New Town project, will welcome the Government’s retreat from a decision to scrap Rolleston,” said Mr Connelly. However, even the Government’s latest decision is still not based on the facts. The Canterbury Regional Planning Authority, when recently releasing its indicative plan, said that the plan identified immediate areas for urban growth, which could include Rolleston. The authority is -now in the process of preparing its longer-term regional planning scheme, in which the public and local authorities have been invited to participate. No Government land should

be sold or other action taken at this juncture, which could prejudice the authority’s final decision on Rolleston. Indeed, hasty action of this kind could adversely affect the cost of sections and the incidence of rating of the future Rolleston. The original Rolleston proposal was for a city of 60,000, being part of an estimated urban growth for the region of up to 200.000. which would have to be catered for by the turn of the century. Christchurch local authorities lack the financial ability to mount major development programmes of the Rolleston type. If the social and economic mistakes which have occurred in Auckland and other areas of New Zealand, are to be avoided, then the Government should ensure that funds and other resources are available to enable properly planned and balanced development to proceed to any contemplated regional scale.