Progress ‘hindered’

Press, 30 April 1981, Page 6

Progress ‘hindered’

The fragmenting of local effort hindered progress in Christchurch, the Mayor (Mr Hamish Hay) told about 60 businessmen and women attending the third Govern-ment-sponsored workshop on growth opportunities at Mona Vale yesterday. “In Christchurch we have the Canterbury United Council, the various local authorities, the South Island Promotion Association, the Canterbury Promotion Council, the Chambers of Commerce, to name but a few,” Mr Hay said. “We are all spending too much time writing letters to each other and objecting to the . various projects that

some other local authority or individual organisation-wants to do. It militates against progress and wastes - resources. . “We must make the most of our. opportunities for growth by co-ordinating our efforts and adopting a professional approach.” Mr. Hay said that a big effort to sell New Zealand, and Christchurch, in particular must be made overseas. “One thing my council is totally united on — despite the changes in its composition since last November — is the need to promote tourism in the city and the use of our airport.” The Minister, of Broadcast-

ing and Associate Minister of Finance (Mr Cooper) told the workshop that for a long time the regulatory controls of the Town and Country Planning Act had stymied regional development. . “But I am delighted to say that the National Develop-, ment Act is working well for New Zealanders,” he said. “We have been dissipating our resources by regulating against development. Many people have been frustrated for as long as seven or eight years by the processes it has been necessary to go through to get planning permission to go ahead with innovative projects."