INDUSTRIAL UNITS MIGRATING

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 3, 28 September 1944, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL UNITS MIGRATING

Wellington To Hutt Valley “The Wellington-Hutt, Valley migration of industrial units has been apparent for some time since the capital city reached maximum absorption point,” said Mr. L. V. Phillips, giving evidence on behalf of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry to the Hutt Harbour Commission yesterday. “The drift has unfortunately been an involuntary and haphazard one rather than a planned development between the two urban districts.

“The Wellington City Corporation recently appointed a committee of senior officers to work on a general zoning plan for the city, and an outline of intentions in respect of the Te Aro Flat area was announced. It is aimed at replanning this area, said to be one of the worst roade<l sections in any New Zealand centre. The present conglomeration of old residential buildings and factories is to be demolished and the area is to be used for light industry and a few blocks of flats.

“It may well be that the active operations of this planning and zoning committee will expedite the exodus of the heavy type of industry from Wellington city.’ In any case the step taken by Hie corporation may well precede an adequate planning survey of its area to enable a reliable forecast of the nature and extent of the movement of existing industries to the Hutt Valley in future years. “Many Wellington firms have already purchased industrial sites in the Hutt Valley, and it is only a matter of time before the factories themselves are in operation. With the proposed harbour reclamation scheme, an area of 350 acres will be available for heavy nml light industrial development, in addition to sites already acquired by industrial firms intending to build factories after the war. If, is amazing to note the fidelity with which developments in the past five years have conformed Io the design contained in the Mawson Report prepared in 1939 and constituting a blue print of progress for the Hutt Valley.”