Case against designations for the Northern Arterial

Press, 14 April 1982, Page 24

Case against designations for the Northern Arterial

Front the St Albans Residents’ Association

In its editorial of March 29 “Motorways and roads.” “The Press” stated “the City Council seems in this case to have the better of the argument with regard to the widening of the streets south of Bealey Avenue and its opponents the better of . the argument with regard to the need lor a new motorway north of the avenue.” The St Albans Residents’ Association does not accept that this is the case. The association has voiced its objections to the Northern Arterial, Route on many occasions and did so in a letter to the Minister of Works in September, last year. These objections can be briefly summarised as follows:— © an absolute decline in population in the Christchurch area; . ; - . ® new motor vehicle registrations on an annual basis are still below the 1973 -peak eight years later; ® high fuel costs; © environmental costs; ® the economic cost. (In September; 1977, the estimate was s3.l'million, , but by April, 1981, it had reached $8.5 million for what is only a few kilometres.) But what has become the most compelling reason against the Arternal Route applies not so much to the Arterial Route itself but rather the continued existence of the property designations. This situation arises out of the Govern-

ment’s lack of commitment to the Northern Arterial Route. Properties were first designated for the route in 1966. Ten years later construction still had not commenced and following a review of the motorway designation the scale of the rolite was reduced and many property designations lifted. However, a further six years has elapsed with no start in view. At the City Council District Scheme hearings in April, 1981, Mr R. D. Odams (Ministry of Works) submitted that: **... the earliest start which would be possible may be of the order of five years and this would be subject to a number of restraints.” These restraints included:— (a) ‘‘Economic justification . for the work in comparison with other works nationally’’ and (b) the fact that the “work will be required to vie for funds locally and nationally.”' In the same submission, Mr Odams emphasised the strength of these restraints when he stated: “Of a budget of $245 million for 1981/82 (for the National Roads Board) only $10.7 million was allocated in new construction works, ... There is fierce competition for these funds in both local authority and State Highway sectors ...” The situation is no different for 1982/83. It was reported in “The Press” on February 18 that though the reading budget

was up $3l million to $2Bl million, no new construction work is to be started, although $23 million will be spent on construction work already committed in previous years. The same article also reported the Deputy Director of Reading as saying that the “1980 s would see a steadily increasing demand for resealing and strengthening funds to meet refurbishing needs of the peak construction activity in the 1960 s and 19705." Thus after sixteen years of designations we appear to be still looking at a time horizon of, at least, something approaching ten years. This could mean property designations may have been in -force twenty-five years before construction commences, or even longer. ’ The -City Council also noted the clear lack of commitment by the Government to the Northern Arterial Route. In their decision requesting the Minister of Works to lift the designation the council stated: “Finally, the members are not confident that the National Roads Board will be capable or willing, .to fund this project within the, planning period having regard to the fact that this project must compete naturally with other reading projects.", \ The St Albans Residents’ Association now submits that whether one is for or against

the Northern Arterial Route in principle there is now a clear case on the ground of social justice for the designation to be lifted. The question must be asked should the Government be able to designate properties for a quarter’ of a century without construction commencing? ■ The association, in making submissions on the Public Works Bill which was enacted in 1981, argued'"that if public works do not commence within a specified time, say three years after properties have been designated, then the designations snoUld lapse, rather than allow such designations to remain in force indefinitely with the serious detrimental effect that this has on an area.” Unfortunately this submission was not acknowledged in the final act: The fact is that over the last sixteen years there has been a general deterioration in properties along the proposed route with resulting effects on property values. Social mobility has been high in properties along the route, further adding to the social instability of the area. In conclusion, the association believes that the Government's lack of commitment to the Northern Arterial Route , has .created a clear case on the ground of social justice for the designations to be lifted.