TWO BIG SCHEMES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 5, 6 July 1928, Page 10

TWO BIG SCHEMES

THE SANDHILL AREA ROYAL SHOW AND FLYING GRdUND CITY LOOKINGAHEAD Two big schemes are in the air for the development of the Lyall - Bay, or Rongotai, sandhill area. They arc a proposal that the Royal Show should make its permanent home in Wellington on a part of. this land, and that a. municipal. flying field should be provided against the time when flying shall develop into an everyday business and means of transport. Nowhere' else within miles of Wellington are there possibilities for such a field. '■ A few years ago this land was regarded as thoroughly ugly and of not much use to anyone. It was then the property of the Defence Department, but the. City Council was under certain obligations to level so many acres per year. Actually no levelling to speak of was done. Then the paving plants were set up there, and a big bite was made into the hills of pure and very suitable sand. During the term of office of the last council negotiations for the handing over of the land froni.the Government to the city were successful, the Defence Department retaining certain rights as to the use of parts of the land for training or—should it come—for' war purposes. The start made in levelling work as an incidental to paving brought out the possibilities of this barren waste, and. a bad winter with much un-

employment took the scheme on further. Coupled with the levelling was the next plan of a new roadway, a part of the city's, fine marine drive, along the seaward sandhill crests. On top of that again came the decision to. place the refuse destructor near . the paving plants, the pulverised refuse to: be spread on the clayed, levelled1 areas as a., fertiliser.. This year ' mole . sand-, levelling is beiug done. Tljere: are now six football fields in fair order and more coming, but, viewed with an aesthetic eye, the land,is still unpleasing. It requires no particularly imaginative eye, however, to look ahead to the time when tho levelling is complete, the paving plants are gone, the masticator likewise, and this great area: is developed in accordance with a really big plan. ROYAL SHOW WANTS A HOME. There is, apparently, nothing definite as to the Royal Show proposal, but there are very; good grounds to believe that it is much more than a possibility. The Royal Stww has no permanent home. It has been held at Ealmerston North—and is to be field there again this year—at Auckland; : Christchurch, and Dunedin, and, having no home of its own, is. unable to build up substantial assets. The question of site, is a ticklish one, and advocates of ono centre as against another are; apt to become warm under the collar if one is compared with another, but it is not questionable that Auckland does not suit South Island stock-owners any more than Dunedin suits North Island breeders. Palmerston North and Chriatchureh are more central, but Wellington is Tho centre. It is essential that the Royal Show should be held close to a city of large population, for its success must depend upon the "gate"; Wellington fits in with that requirement. The Lyall Bay area offers another distinct advantage. In addition to being on the most central Dominion position, it is very close to the Miramar wharves, and stock | shipped from northern ;or southern ports would have a small distance only to travel from the boat. Again the sandy sub-soil gives: wonderfully good drainage, an important'matter. ANOTHER SITE A POSSIBILITY. No doubt, if the Show is to come here, there will bo a strong claim from the Wellington Winter Show Association, which will shortly be in a position to say: "Here are the facilities, what more do you want f'' Here is a question for the Council of the Eoyal Show Association to decide. If it considers the facilities planned, or which may be planned as extensions, by the Wellington Show Association adequate to its wide demands, then tho Winter Show grounds and buildings may bo its location. But whatever'the decision as between those two locations, Wellington wants the Royal Show here, and the Council of the Association may not be unwilling. That remains to be seen. If the Lyall Bay proposal eventuates, the Royal Show site will no doubt bo to the east of the now road, which runs ,from Coutts street to the new sea road, where the levelling is now in hand, and here the gi'ound could bo so laid out as to group all buildings on the northern or southern side of the ground, leaving the centre open for all sports. , The city has heavy reserve improvements ahead of it, and it must be many years before adequate pavilion provision could be made on this land, but a workable arrangement between the city and the Royal Show Association could no doubt bo made for the substantial benefit of both. FLYING- GROUND MUST COME. ; The Royal Show suggestion is so far ■in tho suggestion stage only; so is the flying ground.proposal, but; this one must eventually be acted upon. Flying will develop; there must bo a city flying field. Further over again to the east there is au area of 30 or 40 or

more acres, at presont very uneven, where such a field could be developed, and nowhere else does that possibility exist in or about the city. • _. A municipal flying field is something new to New Zealand, but, unless another city with a nice flat paddockalready handy gets iv first, Wellington will sot the fashion. Upon the 30 to 40 acres over to the east a runway of just under half a mile could be laid out north and south, i.e., in a line with the prevailing winds, for in this portion the reserve swings from west to east to north and south, and a runway of just under half a mile could be laid out in a line with the prevailing winds, an essential point. East to west, commencing from near Association Park and running through the land which may be. the open space of the Show Grounds, extending on again across the north-south portion, a runway of a good three-quarters of a mile could be provided for exceptional occasions. : • ■ „ It is worthy of note in that connection that when last year's sand levelling work was in full stride it was. discovered that the plans provided for two levels, with a difference of about three feet, on the eastern portion. The council put its foot down on this idea, even if more excavation was necessary, and there is one level right through.If either or both ideas are carried out the main ground would still be open for" all sports purposes; that would be an essential feature of the' development. The council would have no power to alienate any of its area should the Koyal Show make its home on this land, the association being given rights for so many days in each year, the ground, and probably the grandstand and other facilities, being available to the city at other times. In the case of the flying field the same conditions would hold, for a number of yeara at least, but the time may come—Jules Verne was an awful romancer when he wrote of flying ships and submarines— when flying will be no greater novelty than motoring is to-day, and the field may be in full use as such. The idea is a big one; the field must come, and it must go to that area since there is no other. . >.■■■.-