FLOOD CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 121, 25 May 1931, Page 11

FLOOD CONTROL

HUTT RIVER PROBLEM

(To the Editor.) I Sir. —It lias been suggested that a. commission be set up to investigate drainage problems in the Hutt Valley and submit ti comprehensive! scheme for the future control of the flood waters o£ the river. There is no need for such, a commission if the various Government Departments, local bodies, and other interests in the Valley would take advantage of the re-gional-planning provisions contained in Part 11. of the Town-planning Amendment Act, 1029, which was expressly designed to bring about the co-ordination of those public works and "utilities which do not begin pi- terminate within the boundaries of any single authority. In many of the addresses I have delivcved on regional-planning in the Wellington district during the past two years and a half I have referred.to flood control as one of the major problems which would have to be tackled by the regional committee if and when it is.set up. There are only two alternatives if a permanent and satisfactory remedy is to bo found for the present deplorable state of affairs. ■.-...■• ■■ . One, to set up a statutory body exercising jurisdiction over the whole of the drainage area, with power to dictate to the Main Highways Board, the Railway Department, the Wellington City and Suburban Water Supply Board, the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board, the municipal and county authorities, and private landowners. .'<.... The other, for", all interested Government Departments, public bodies, arid privates, individuals to come together and agree upon a • united policy of development, based on a thorough survey of existing physical, social, and economic conditions, to which effect would be given not by coercive measures but through enlightened self-interest. A river board or. fiver boards would., of course, be necessary,' but there is all the difference in the world between a single local body formulating-arid giving effect to its own policy, possibly without ade-qiiate-consultation with, or consideration of all the interests., involved, and ■ the carrying out of a policy framed in the interests of and agreed to in advance by every section of the community. The flood waters of the Hutt River must be controlled, not in the interests of any particular district, > local .body, or individual, but of the. community resident in the Hutt Valley as a whole. To consider the problem purely from, the drainage engineer's point of view, without consideration of the broader social and economic aspects o{ land utilisation might, probably would, result in continuous friction and litigation and cause a feeling qi uncertainty and insecurity- in the minds of property owners, which would prevent the land, generally speaking, being put to its highest and best use.. ... ... One of the reasons. advanced for the delay in putting regional planning into operation in this district is that people are afraid of it. because' they do not understand it. I suggest, Sir, that _ the case I have made out is one which will be understood and appreciated by everyone. Is it too much to hope, then, that the local authorities In the Hutt Valley, with whom the initiative for the setting aip- of a regional committee.- rests, will, now that the elections are out of the way, see the practical wisdom of moving immediately in the matter? • ■ . ■• ■ The procedure is simplicity ltselt.. All that is necessary is a formal resolution by each interested municipal and county council deciding- to unite for the purpose of preparing a regional •planning scheme for the whole or for a definite portion of the total area within their several jurisdictions. These resolutions when approved by the Town Planning Board, so far as they relate to the area to be brought within the scheme, would be gazetted, and thereafter each body appoints one or two representatives on the committee as the case may be. The' committee so constituted has the power to co-opt as Ml members-.representatives ot Government departments,-other-, local bodies, business and social organisations, or individuals who, in their opinion, possess technical knowledge which would be of advantage to the committee. In this way it is possible to make a committee fully representative of all the social and economic interests involved in the development of the region. The committee would have at-its disposal, for the. preparation of the necessary surveys and plans, a. sum not exceedingone twelve-thousandth of the capital rateable value, of the region, to be contributed by the various rating authorities in such proportion as may be agreed by the committee, or, failing agreement, as may bo apportioned by the Governor-txeneral in Council. ~ The first duty of. the committee would be to- prepare a thorough survey of the physical, social, and economic conditions of the region, and in the light of this knowledge prepare a, well-balanced scheme of future developments, in which due consideration would be given to such matters as communications and transport facilities, the allocation of areas ■ best suited for urban or agricultural purposes, public utilities and services, and amenities such as public parks and reserves, and recommendations for the control ot outdoor advertising. . . . It must be obvious, even to the uninitiated; that there is a direct relationship between each of these matters and the potential density' and distribution ot population throughout the region. It should' be' particularly noted that the committee would have power to make recommendations only, and that these recommendations are not-in any sense binding on any Government department, local body, or property owner. It would be competent, however, for the various municipal and county authorities to give' statutory effect to the recommendations of the region committee through the medium of town-planning schemes. It is conceivable, of course, that by consent any or all of the recommendations of the regional -committee could be given statutory effect by means 'of a.special Act of Parliament. If .one may judge by the experience gainect in the administration of regionalplanning schemes in the Old Country, such a step would not be necessary, for, generally speaking/the conclusions reached by the regional''committees--are-so obviously right in' the light of the■■- ascertained facts as to put them outside - the realm of controversy. I am satisfied that this will prove to be the case, not only in the- Wellington region,- but throughout New Zealand, once the committees get to grips with- their various local problems. ■The idea that nothing .worth while .can be accomplished except by Act of Parliament is utterly' unworthy of an intelligent and socially-minded people.—l am, eU" ,T. W, MAWSOiN", ' Director of Town Planning.