Regional planning budget cut

Press, 28 February 1980, Page 3

Regional planning budget cut

Some Canterbury United Council members were opposed to regional planning and “would wreck it if they could,” Cr D. B. Rich told a council meeting yesterday.

When members saw how planning worked, they might regret cuts made in the coming year’s first United Council budget, he said. It was irresponsible to prune items that would keep regional planning from working properly, said Cr Rich. One cut was $21,500 for consultant services, $lO,OOO of which would have come from the Government. Cr Rich said that some budget decisions yesterday had been “made in ignorance, rather than with knowledge.” But his move to have a $20,000 contingency item added to the regional planning budget was defeated, on a 12-8 vote. Cr Rich is chairman of the Canterbury Regional Planning Authority, which will be disbanded at the end of March as the United Council takes over its work. He is also chairman of the new United Council’s regional planning committee. The council also cut $16,000 projected for computer services. Other council members said the reductions would not hurt during the first year, while the council found its feet and discovered from experience where money was needed. “The people of Canterbury want to know we are going to look at costs from the word go, and not just set up an empire and carry on with it,” said Cr W. J. Thompson. Another move, to reduce $16,000 set aside for possible legal fees, was defeated on the casting vote of the council’s chairman (Mr C. N. Mackenzie). He said there was no reason to believe that all that money would have, to be spent A similar argument about

I the other items did not win over a majority of the councillors.

Several questioned the consultant service item because it seeced to be based mainly on a detailed study of possible land uses round Rolleston, in one of the draft regional scheme review’s special development control areas.

They were afraid the study would be a repeat of past plans to make Rolleston a satellite of Christchurch. Planners said that was not the case, • but consultant advice might be needed to fill certain gaps in the reviewed scheme with detailed information.

Such advice might also be needed for a rural resources report now in its early stages. “Why do we need a team of top-ranking planners and then have to make such an allowance for consultants?” asked Cr Mollie Clark. Cr W. M. Hindmarsh said the council should be able to “mark time” for a year on such planning, especially when the region’s population was stable. Cr Rich said the consultant services money would not necessarily be spent, but it was unwise to leave it out of the budget.

“Members will see w r hat the real cost of planning is later in the year, when they want something to be done and the money will not be there,” he said. Sir Terence McCombs said the computer services monej', if spent well, would enable more work to be done by the staff. Mr Mackenzie’s monthly report as chairman, on what he considered main issues raised by the scheme review and recent hearings, also caused controversy.

He said councillors should see for . themselves specific examples of issues raised in the review, such as the urban

fence, the green belt, and restrictions placed on small farmers wanting to build houses on their properties. Everyone agreed that planning was needed, Mr Mackenzie said, but the regional plan “should be as simple as possible, easily understood, and fully agreed to by all local authorities.”

It should guide the community into orderly development, and “not be a tool to ensure an over-regulated society,” he said. Planning produced nothing in itself, but “through its implementation can cause frustration and delays.” Added to all other planning processes, that could discourage industrial and other development which was so badly needed. Mr Mackenzie said his comments had been made to provoke discussion, and they had achieved their purpose. Sir Terence said the issue of planning or not planning “looks quite different depending on where you are standing.” Urban dwellers concerned about the protection of good farmland past the suburbs would see the need differently from residents of remote rural areas. “Something has to be done to prevent unnecessary housing in the country,” he said. The United Council agreed to tour areas with special planning problems after becoming acquainted with the regional • scheme review. Seeing things “on the ground” was important, Mr Mackenzie said. It seemed Regional Planning Authority meetings had things “all. set out” on paper, and decisions were made quickly from that information.

The council’s final estimate for regional planning, over 11 months from March 31, was about $461,800; salaries would account for $355,650 of the total.