POST-WAR HOUSING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 8, 11 January 1944, Page 3

POST-WAR HOUSING

AUSTRALIAN VIEWS

COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING

An interim report on national housing and planning by the Australian Institute of Architects was presented to the Department of, Post-war Reconstruction recently^ synchronising with the presentation of the first interim report by the Commonwealth Housing Commission to the Federal Government, states a report in the Melbourne "Herald."

It is emphasised that private enterprise must work to a master plan, and that the need of money must not stand in the way of housing and slum clearance after the war.

Important points made by the architects are:

Finance.—No obstructions on this score have been contemplated. The committee feels that Governments will and must lead in developing the allover economic policy and that finance is purely a political matter. Plan.—A national master plan should be adopted. This will be fined down through State housing committees and through them to groups of municipalities. Piecemeal interpretations and valuations of the master plan at individual caprice will not be tolerated.

Aims. —With slums being cleared by a Government drive, industrial and housing centres will be developed by co-operative work between private enterprise, Governments, and municipal initiative. Where industry is developed in any locality community centres and health clinics will be major features.

Aesthetic Control. —There must be a measure of .aesthetic and structural control. Places out of harmony with the plan should not be allowed. Definitions of "regions" are most difficult, but they ,will depend on agricultural power and industrial facilities, needs and character already existing or desirable of development. One of the committee who shaped the report has commented: "The greater the number of private individuals and firms working on the master plan the speedier will it be completed, and the better it will be. We don't want to hamper private enterprise. On the contrary, we want it to fall in energetically behind State-controlled powers which alone are adequate to deal with slums.

MUNICIPALITIES TO HELP.

A Canberra report states that municipalities throughout Australia may be asked to accept the role of agencies for the Commonwealth in implementing a central policy. There appears to be a degree of uncertainty concerning the practicability of elaborate housing schemes which at present are in. the embryo stage. This is due chiefly* to the handicap the Commonwealth is under regarding its constitutional powers to direct and control any plans the deliberations of its experts reach. A referendum next year may solve this difficulty, but, it is pointed out, that even when these additional powers are granted by the people, willingness of the agencies to be appointed will be an important factor in any scheme. Plans visualised by the Department of Reconstruction at this early stage include construction of houses for purposes of ownership and rental with a percentage of flats and transplanting of industries where this is feasible.

Federal authorities would like; to see ■a minimum area of parkland, gardens or recreational space fixed for every 20 or so flats to encourage more openair life and check community huddling. The opinion is held that one reason for the congestion of housing in cities, which has led to slums, is the close grouping of industrial plants. It is felt that if some factories could be moved out to new districts to provide more local employment, general housing problems would be eased. This would' also alleviate transport bottlenecks by transferring some of the passenger loading to local services not touching the heart of the city.

INDUSTRIAL COUNTRY AREAS.

Large-scale decentralisation of industry with emphasis on development of Australia's country areas will have to be tackled. Senator Keane holds that until this problem is tackled realistically and efficiently it will be hopeless to attempt to check the disastrous drift to the city—a drift accelerated by war conditions and one which had accentuated already serious problems of housing in all capitals. Rural industrial development would offer the incentive of wages and conditions, which largely induced workers to come to a city, but a complementary need would be provision of educational, recreational, and cultural facilities and amenities, such as light, gas, sewerage, and refrigeration comparable with those available in cities. Such development would not only reduce a contributing cause of the existence in i over-crowded cities of squalid residential areas, but it would check the dangerous diversion to the city of large numbers of young people seeking opportunities but removed from parental control.

. Proper planning would also eliminate the need which in the past had compelled city workers to leave their homes and families while working on country projects.