TAITA LAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 60, 12 March 1937, Page 11

TAITA LAND

HOUSING SCHEME

OWNERS' STRONG PROTEST

GOVERNMENT ACTION

A strong protest against the action of the Government in taking land at Taita for the building of houses was voiced at a meeting of eighty owners and residents, held at the Taita Public Hall last night.

The following motion was carried unanimously:—

"This meeting of owners of lands at Taita, which the Crown, has notified of its intention to acquire for housing purposes, desires to voice its strong objections to the talcing of the lands. In the first place, we desire to point out that the notice of intention to take our lands was first published in the New Zealand Gazette on November 19 last. This notice required any persons having objections to the taking of the lands to lodge the objections within 40 days of November 19. It was not, however, until early in February (five weeks after the expiry of the 40 days within which objections should be made) that the Public Works Department thought fit to notify us of the Government's intentions. "Our objections to the proposals are:— , ' , 1. These lands comprise one of the few areas reasonably close to Wellington city and entirely suitable for market gardening purposes. Their high market value and use for market gardening purposes for many years past show that this is the case. 2. The lands at present have no transport facilities by rail and no sewerage. To provide these will require a considerable capital expendi; ture which could be avoided, as regards rail transport in any case, by taking land' elsewhere. 3. If these lands are taken an industry of value to Wellington city Will be seriously affected and the market gardeners concerned' will have difficulty in finding suitable areas anywhere reasonably close to Wellington city. 4. For housing purposes ample areas are available at Tawa Flat, Upper Hutt, and the Wainui Valley. The first two of these areas are served by railways, and, in the case of all three areas, lands could be obtained without disturbing any man from his home or place of business. "We strongly object to the taking of these lands. Notice only of the Government's intention to take them has so far been given. It is not too late for the Government to give up this project and to acquire land more cheaply elsewhere, which will give equal or even better facilities for the erection of homes. Residents in the district feel very strongly about this matter."