GOVERNMENT HOUSES

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 126, 31 May 1938, Page 6

GOVERNMENT HOUSES

NEEDED IN PETONE

IS LAND AVAILABLE?

The possibility of having Government houses erected in the borough tvds Ydiscussed at the meeting of the Petoile; Borough Council last evening. The matter- arose when the inspector (liir. G. A. Booth) said, in reply to a question by Councillor E. NV Campbell, that there were not enough houses 'for the people who wanted to live in Petone.

Councillor Campbell asked if the council had made any representations to the'. Government about erecting houses in Petone.

The Mayor (Mr. G. London) said the former Mayor (Mr. A. Scholefield) had been associated 'with Korokoro residents in approaching the Government. He did not think there was much hope. ~». ■'

Councillor H. Green stated that the Government had authorised the spending o£ £4,000,000 in New Zealand and nearly 4000 houses had been built, or authorised in 83 towns,. 'Why Was. Petone ignored? Not much :land was available, but there was . a certain amount. "Why should people have to leave a fine little town like, Petone, and live in the backblocks of Lower i Hutt?" he asked. . , \ i

Councillor J.' Cumming said he had interested himself in this matter more than any other member of the council. Only a certain amount of land was available in Korokoro and i very little in Petone. If the Govern-1 iment wanted to purchase land ■ the r price would ; immediately go up. lie did not 1 want-flats in ■> an .industrial area like Petone, as -flats were not sqitable'for the fearing of 'families. If ;'the "cbunfc'il thought the erection of houses was so, easy, it could be done by loan,. There was .'plenty of land lox settlementcin. LowerHutt. The only.-suitable::land he. .knew of in Petone was. the ten or twelve acres beIgnging* to the Gear sCofnpany near Lever Bros.': premises. •. He advocated the reclaiming of land, in", Petone, ;

Councillor A. M. Macfarlane said: that flats with communal play areas might be suitable. Reclaimed land would be too valuable for housing

Councillor J. R. Gaynor stated that the council should approach the Gov-, ernmeht and solve the difficulties in regard to building in Korokoro. . It was decided, on the motion of Councillor E. N. Campbell, to set .up a committee to report on the land available for housing;