OUTLET FOR THE CITY

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 54, 6 March 1922, Page 7

OUTLET FOR THE CITY

HUTT VALLEY ADVANTAGES

x BETTER TRANSIT WANTED

REPORT TO PROGRESS LEAGUE.

Improved means of transit from Wellington to Hutt and Petone, in order to push 1 forward the development of the Hutt Valley, is suggested by Mr. G. Mitchell, M.P., in a report presented to the Central Progress League, of which he is secretary. • . ' ■ ■ "Of all the outlets for-our surplus population, none offer such immediate facilities and advantages as this valley," says the report. "There are hundreds of acres of rich, open, flat land within eight to nine miles of Lamb ton. Station by ai flat railway connection. Being flat, Tailway and road construction would be comparatively cheap, and, being largely of open spaces, it'lends itself to development on modem lown-plnnning lines. It has an ideal bathing beach along the Petone foreshore, and a. public park of a hundred acres, which.will some day be one of the finest and most popular playing fields in the Dominion. 'It has also other -delightful grounds, one of which, Mason's Gardens, should at least be preserved for the people whovwill ona day fill the whole of the Hutt Valley. "The progress and development of this area is being retarded, firstly, on account of being divided under three local bodies, some of whom have not.been happy together in_ the' past; secondly,' from that great, unsolved problem of cheap ' and! quick.transit to and: from the city.. 1, ONE MUNICIPAL BODY. "Dealing with the first, the compacts nature of this fine 1-valley, the common interests of its people; and the necessity for future development on .one comprehensive plan, makes one municipal body a basic necessity. Ultimately it will belinked up, and become part of Greater Wellington, but the first step is the amalgamation of the present governing bodies in the Valley.' This done,' one comprehensive plan of development on -town-planning lines, could be entered upon with possibilities of success which, do not present themselves, in any other large area around Wellington. But to accomplish this ideal will take' timfe.and education to break down local prejudice ■. and tradition. • The first steps towards it should be an; agreement for. one body to control the common services, such as water, drainage, sewerage, light, 'and; power. As all alike are interested in these services, economy and efficiency demand that they be caTriedout under one " controlling body. In view of the new born spirit of goodwill in. the, .two. boroughs, this first step of joint control of common services seems within measurable reach of accomplishment. ", .;■'" QHEAP AND PAST TRANSIT. "No development or settlement on a large scale can take place in this desirable suburb without a cheap and fast means of transit from the city to all parts of the valley. At the present time the railway skirts the hillside, and is largely cut off from the residential portion by distance or by the river. .On account of this want of access, hundreds of acres of ideal building land is still 'in the country' and not accessible as residential areas. 1 The Government itself has fine areas of building sites, which must remaiji idle until the;city workmen can get tfo and from them at a reasonable cost of time and money. - "Three proposals have been suggested to overcome the transit difficulty:— (1) A local tram service connecting with the present railway stations at the Hutt and Petone. ' A train service running from Wellington and. crossing the river somewhere between the Hutt and Petone, opening up the centre of the Hutt Valley and connecting with the present line at Silverstream. . (3) A concrete, or tar-sealed romd from Wellington through the Hutt Valley, with overhead electric gear to' run trackless cars. "In regard to No. 1, any system which entails a change from tram to train would not succeed in competition with a service where no. such change is necessary. In regard to No. 2, should the Rimutaka deviation go "via Wainui-o-mata, tho lower end of _the Hutt Valley would be ', opened up by this means. On the other hand, if the Woodside route is decided upon, in all probability the ■ railway duplication woiiid cross the Hutt River between the.Hutt and Petone boroughs,'going ( up the centre of the Valley and connecting at Silverstream.' In either case it will be seen that an improved railway system would be brought about. Whatever decision is come to in regard to this deviation, it behoves the Government to acquire the laud now, which.is mostly open and available, before it becomes built on and expensive. No. 3: Concrete or tar-senled -road from Wellington to all parts of tho Hutt Valley, with overhead electric wires and a raillass car system, is mostly favoured by responsible engineers the advantage being that the overhead wires are very cheap of construction; the', electric' power is cheap, and will be pleptifnl; the cars can stop anywhere to pick up and set down passengers, thereby takingl people practically from their own homes to the city; it is fast and comparatively inexpensive in running, and it will mean .modern roads for the use of all road traffic. ' "I understand an agreement was come to to put down a concrete road from. Wellington to the Hutt prior to 1914, but on account of the war this has been held up. One sees no reason why this excellent work should* not be put in hand-at once. Cement is plentiful, the money 'market is easier, -and men are idle who could carry out the work. Nor is there any reason why such a track should not be completed by the time Mangahao power is available, and a modern line of trackless electric cars- connecting . the Hutt with Wellington. A modern road ia essential whatever other means of trans-.' port is installed. . REQUIREMENTS. OF/. THE VALLEY.. " I would, therefore, summarise ths requirements of the Hutt Valley to-day as follows:— ■ - 1: Improved means of transit from Wellington to all parts of the Valley by a railway service up the centre, or a trackless car system on concrete or tar-sealed roads, or both. 2. A joint board to take over ; all common" services -such as water, drainage, light, and power at once, ultimately, one local governing body for the whole of the Lower Hutt Valley, with one comprehensive plan of development. "I suggest,the necessity of a. body of representative citizens in the Hutt'Valley to get together and work to this'end."