MANY WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 121, 28 November 1928, Page 12

MANY WORKERS

AND THEIR HOUSING INDUSTRIAL AREA PORTENT. WAINTJI TUNNEL The rapid taking up of land in tho Petone-Hutt industrial area suggests that a large industrial population will eventually need homes beyond the radius of the delta, either in the Hutt Valley farther north, or in the Wainui-o- ' ' mata Valley. It is stated that a traffic tunnel into the latter will _ soon be begun, and that certain important provisional transport ar- ' • rangcrncnts have been made with the Department of Railways. It has been usual, when discussing ' the future expansion of Wellington City, to speak of the almost limitless possibilities of the Hutt Valley as an outlet; and, speaking generally, ' the statement is true, as the middle and upper portions of the valley have hardly yet been touched by close settlement, and there still remain, after these areas are filled, the hills and plateaus which fringe the valley.Yet, in spite of this general aspect, it will come as a distinct shock to many to realise that the lower half of the occupiable land of the lower valley is already filled, or has the early prospect of being occupied to its full capacity. The flat land south of White's Line is already carrying something approaching its maximum of residential population. With the exception of a few acres to the south-east, the whole of the land iv Petone has been subdivided and the greater part has been built upon. Allotments unbuilt upon are mostly held by persons intending to build, who areonly waiting tho financial opportunity of erecting their own homes. On the east side of the river, another 100 or so houses will see this area carrying its full residential population. It isassurned, of course, that Gear Island will be reserved in some form or other as a sports and recreation ground. LIMITED, SPACE AT DELTA. After deducting the 200 acres reserved for industrial purposes, the area occupied by Hutt Park, and the Moera. and other Government settlements now built upon, it will be found that room for only about 100 houses will remain. After crossing White's Line thero are, of course, areas still unsubdivided, but until approaching Taita there are no very considerable areas of unoccupied land. There are many allotments in the Lower Hutt Borough which have not yet been built upon, but the greater portion of these are being held by owners who intend to erect their own homes. . A factor too that must be considered in discussing areas available for building in the neighbourhood of the central portion of Lower Hutt is the price of allotments. The majority of sections aro fairly large, and are there- ' fore out of reach of the average wageearner. ' The question then arises: whore aro the future employees of the industrial area to be accommodated? Of the area of 200 acres set aside in the town-planning scheme for industries, . 100 acres have definitely been taken up and factories will iv 'a very short time be erected; 75 acres are under offer to various firms, and will most probably be accepted. This leaves only 25 acres available, and numerous inquiries, especially during the last few days, have been received for this area. When the Government land is fully taken up there will' still remain 200 acres now being slowly reclaimed from the sea at the Hutt-Waiwetu estuary. THE COMING FACTORIES. It. will be seen therefore that'in a comparatively short period 400 acre 3 will be covered by factories, and when. it is stated that one of these industries expects to employ 3000 men, while the railway workshops will account for 1000 more, it will not be hard to ' visualise thousands of men in this area helping to build up the secondary industries of- the Dominion. This would moan on a low estimate . that very many additional homes will ultimately be needed to meet tho requirements of the industrial area alone. It now seems assured that By-Pro- ' duets, Ltd., will establish works in this area, it being deemed that the benefits of such a central sito for distribution purposes greatly outweigh and benefits, accruing from a location near the source of coal supply. Ono of .the largest, if not the largest, of British woollen firms, whoso, namo is a household word among members of the soft goods trade, has secured a site for tlio erection of a factory. Negotiating proprietors of other industries havo not completed arrangements ■ and do not yet desire mention made of their works. The new road, now being formed through the industrial area will, besides giving shorter access to tho bays, give valuable frontages to tho industrial blocks. ' ' ' • Where will the overflow industrial population be housed? Higher up tho Hutt Valley, or in the adjoining Wai-nui-o-Mata Valley? The latter is handicapped at present by a hill road. But hills can bo. tunnelled. In an attempt to seize opportunity . by tho fore-lock, an ambitious scheme, j of Wainui-o-Mata development is being , pressed. In tho Wainui-o-Mata several thousand acres of flat land are available, and it is. estimated, could carry a population of over 10,000 people. TUNNELLING EARLY IN NEW YEAR. It is understood that all the preliniinary work in regard to tho tunnel has been done and that the actual piercing of tho hill will be commenced early , in .the New Year. The tunnel'will be about 50 chains long with a gradient ion the west side of 1 in 20. On the east or Wainui-o-Mata side tho tunnel will run out on the level. Two-way traffic, with footways, will be provided for and arrangements havo definitely . been made with tho Railway Department to run a bus service to connect with Pctone, Woburn Station, and the industrial area. ■ ' Provision has been made on ths branch railway which runs from Woburn Station to tho industrial area (and which it is.proposed to extend to the site of tho proposed wharf at Point '• Howard) to provide a siding not only, for goods traffic but for passenger service, and tho Department has promised that when the Hutt Valley service is electrified it will connect the siding by a tram line through the tunnel to Wainui.' It is fully expected that when the railway is' electrified it will materially; assist in the transportation of passenger traffic from Eastbourne and the Bays'. Possibly the- railway may be itself extended to - Eastbourne. In return for its promised service by bus and later by electric tram traction, to Wanni, tho Department of Railways has been given'a monopoly of tho commercial passenger transportation.