TOWN PLANNING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 58, 12 March 1929, Page 16

TOWN PLANNING

NEW PROPOSALS

REGIONAL SCHEMES

ADDRESS BY DIRECTOR

Proposals oil a very, far-reaching, nature, which he said would vitally affect the powers and duties of local authorities in New Zealand in relation to town planning were outlined by the Director of Towu Planning. (Mr. J. W. Mawson) in an address before the Municipal Conference at Wanganui.

J[r. Mawson explainud that his. proposals were based on tlic cspcrieneo, failures, and bueccssos of many countries in the framing juul udininistration of town-planning legislation over a long period of years. Thoro was not, and never coukl be, any augge&tion of the standardisation of towu-planning nictliods aud procedure, or of the production of stereotyped plans of towns. Every country and every town must work out its own s.'ilvation according to its needs and circumstances, but the broad principles underlying town-planning —namely, tlic planning and development of land destined for.human use-and enjoyment in such a way- as would secure health, efficiency, convenience, and amenity— remain the same. We in New Zealand admit these principles. They wero embodied in our Town Planning Act, but we had gone abtray in our methods of applying them, through confusing local governmental with economic and social units, and failing -to distinguish between matters of regional and local interest. ' < REGIONAL PLANNING.'' Proceeding, Mr. Mawson defined the term "regional planning" as Hie coordination aud correlation of all matters of interest common lo the separate local authorities within the region in order to secure tho ccououiiu use and development of the land for the purpose for which it was best suited. In most matters relating to public utilities and social services we thought now m terms Of squaro miles and miles where formerly i\c thought in terms of acres and yards. Always there was some dominating force, some powerful source of attraction, some economic and social community of interest, which bound town and towu and town and country together within more or less clearly defined zones. In town-planning phraseology these areas were defined as "regions.^ No local governmental unit and no individual -within these regions could claim economic or social independence. For better or for worse, economically and socially, the region was rapidly taking the place once occupied by the individual local governmental unit, and it was upon that basis we must first consider the application of our town-planning principles if we were to secure efficient and beneficial results. Regional planning represented a united policy of physical development agreed to by all the authorities and interests affected. There was no suggestion of interference with the rights of local self-government in thi3, for, each authority would be left to work out tho regional proposals in detail in its own area and to give effect to them in its own good time. Briefly, said Mr. Mawson, his rceoinmonantious to the Town-planning Board were (.1) that rill matters of common economic and social interest should be considered aud determined iv advance of tho preparation of the separate ' statutory town-planning schemes within each region; (2) that i these regional proposals should then be ! incorporated iv so far as may bo prac- ■ ticable or desirable, in the teparale I town-planning schemes; (3) thai the regional- schemes should be uon-cbliga-torv; and (4) that pending the completion of town-planning schemes local authorities should be given wider power for the control of developments within their areas. . - , "• The principle underlying the lirst two (if these recommendations was admitted by all. Unfortunately, however, the Act is so worded as to make these regional schemes subsidiary or complementary to the town-planning schemes , instead of being foundational. ' LOCAL BODIES' COOPERATION. There was no provision for ascertaining or denning the area for which a combined scheme ought to be prepared and that the co-operation of the authorities affected was a matter of volunary agreement. A single authority whose area happened to form an integral part of a region could wreck a scheme by refusing to co-operate. The procedure under the present Act might permit of the preparation of a regional scheme so far, as area .was concerned, but there were uertain technical aud financial considerations involved winch presented .almost- insuperable obstacles, Tho most serious difficulty he foresaw in the effective operation of section 38 of tho Act for regional purposesvwas that the' combined schemes, on approval by the Town-planning Board, would place statutory financial obligations upon the constituent authorities; whilo it might not even be possible for all the authorities to secure representation on the committee should the number affected'exceed tho number <of members (fifteen) provided for in the Act. 1 CHANGES IN THE ACT. Dealing with tho necessity for amendments to the Act the director said that the Minister of Internal Alfaira had already agreed that an extension of time would be necessary for the preparation of planning schemes. Mr. Mawson said he suggested that regional committees should define the areas :in which building development might be anticipated, and , for" which -planning ■■"■• schemes should be prepared, and the

way would they be facilitated if or tlio preparation of joiut schemes. Tho question 'would' liatura'lly. bo raised in connection with 1 regional 'schemes: "What will you do if one' or more authorities in a. region refuse to co-operate in the preparation of a scheme T 1 It would be advisable, therefore, to have legislation giving the power to tho GovernorGeneral in Council to nominate representatives for any dissenting authority arid to assess them with their proportion of tho cost of the scheme. OBLIGATION TO PREPARE SCHEMES. "It may bo argued, probably will be argued," said Mr. Mawsoa, "that if it is possible to prepare and carry out non-obligatory regional schemes it should be possible also to prepare and carry out non-obligatory town-planning scheme. In fact, I would broaden the and one which would need tho most .careful consideration before any amendments to the present Act were submitted to' parliament, l'wsonally, L believo that it can be dove up to a point 'with advantage to town-planning generally. 'There should be no relaxation of the obligation.-to prepare a scheme. ... In"fact ,1 would broaden the scope of tho complsory provisions, but I think that those features in a scheme likely to involve heavy claims for compensation for injury might be made non-obligatory. .1 aid thinking primarily of tho sterilisation of laud for open spaces, street-widening, and other public purposes. It should be possiblo, for instance, to produce a comprehensive and efficient traffic circulation scheme -without involving the community in the payment of compensation, before the land is required or the works put in hand. Power ought to be given to the town-planning authorities to secure the cancellation, if necessary, of existing plans and the re-subdivision of the land more in accordance witb the principles of town-planniug and the needs.of the locality. Secondly, we ought to abandon the present arbitrary regulations and cumbersome procedure in' regard to the approval of subdivisions and street-widths and reserves, and simply require that a certain percentage of land shall be dedicated.for roads and reserves, which would"be located or laid out at the discretion oC the town-planning authority for the district. This, in conjunction with zoning provisions, would enable us to exerciso effective control over all future land subdivisions.", ,