REGIONAL PLANNING

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 February 1945, Page 8

REGIONAL PLANNING

CONFERENCE AT •GREYMOUTH. •' Delegates from various local bodies •.-■throughout the district yesterday attended a conference at Greymouth, 'called by the Mayor of Greymouth r‘--(Mr F. A. Kitchingham), at the request of the Government, to discuss -■ proposals to set up a Regional Planning Unit for National Development ■ throughout the Dominion, as part of • a post-war rehabilitation plan. The ■ conference is being addressed by the Director of Regional Planning and the ’ Director. of Town Planning (Mr J. ■’■Wi Mawson). The following local bodies* were '• ■■ represented:—Grey County Council (Mr- : Ti' G. Jamieson), Westland County 'Council (Messrs M. Wallace and E. Stoop), Inangahua County ■Council (Mr F. W. Archer), Westport. • Borough Council (Mr J. M. Robertsoft), Greymouth Borough Council (Mr A. J. Fairmaid), Brunner Borough Council (Mr F. Lockington), ■KUmara Borough' (Mr W.'Stewart), Hdkitika Borough (Mr A. R. Elcock), Rd'ss Borough (Mr K. W. May), Runan’ga Borough (Mr E. W. Kennedy), Grey Barbour Board (Mr F. Williams), Main Highways Board and . Works Department (Mr E. F. Evans), Forestry Department (Major C Biggs), Lands and Survey (Mr J. W. Mclntyre), Railways Department (Mr F. G. Clark, District Traffic Manager), Mr N. Langbein (District Engineer), Mines Department (Mr C. J. Strongman), Grey Power Board (Mr W. H. Parfitt), Rehabilitation Department (Mr A. N. Campbell), Trades and Labour Councils (Mr J. Barrow), Westland District Progress League (Mr W. D. Taylor), Gold-mining interests (Mr W. J. Ellis’), Timber interests (Mr J. S. Robertson). Apologies for their absence were received from the. Minister of Rehabilitation (Major C.- F. Skinner) the Minister of Mines (Mr P. C. -Webb), and the Member for the District (Mr J. O’Brien). • -The Mayor of Greymouth (Mr I. Ai Kitchingham), who presided, in extending a general welcome, said he Was particularly pleased to see Mr Robertson (Mayor of Westport) pre- • sent because of the question of boundaries, which would no doubt arise. He also took the opportunity of welcoming Mr J. W. Mawson Director of Regional Planning for national development. The development of industry in relation to rehabilitation was a most important consideration throughout the.' whole of the Dominion, said Mr Kitchingham. There, had originally been a conference at Greymouth of West Coast local bodies to plan for the, development of the province, but the) present porposal was on a national’scale. The outcome of the West Coast local bodies’ conference had been successful only in relation to the timber industry, mainly because it was either starved for information, which was either stowed away in Government departments or was not available. The proposed ;regional planning programme would, he thought, go much further than the West Coast Local Bodies’ Conference proposals. The regional planning, aimed at three, things—(l) survey, of existing resources; (2) a short-range policy to assist rehabilitation; and (3) a long-range policy which would take some years to fully develop. He thought himself that the proposed survey was very necessary, as for over 80 years they had lived on their capital assets, timber, coal and gold. Every' one of these industries was diminishing, and other than them there was only one other—farming, which was as yet not fully developed. It was a well-known fact that alluvial mining or dredging had a short life ahead of it so far as the province was concerned, while the erection of other proposed dredges would largely be guided by taxation, the price of gold and production costs. It had been stated authoritatively that 20 years would see the end of bituminous coal deposits, but since that time the Dobson area had been proved to some extent, though it was not known ye’; if the area could be worked in a practical way to a depth of between 2,000 and. 3,000 feet. Some 4,000 to 5,000 acres of timber was being cut away annually and. had been a diminishing industry over a period of years, but notwithstanding this fact the only, re-planted areas were at Rimu and. Slab Hut, the latter ■ over a small area. There was con- ' siderable room for improvement, and hope, for the future of the pastoral industry on the West Coast. He had obtained figures from Mr Mark Wallace, ' which indicated _ that there could quite easily be a bright future for the production of butterfat- m the province, in which excellent results of 94 per cent, superfine grade butter had been obtained from 50 per cent, of the small number of factories, whereas in other parts of New Zealand/ only between 10 and 11 per cent, were able to reach that superfine grade. Stock production spoke for itself, but in spite of all this, the industry was languishing, and something required to be done to rid the province of .its troubles and ronabilitate it in some shape or form. There was a need for long-range planning with the tourist industry, declared Mr. Kitchingham. The West Coast, despite its climate, he said, should be the PLAYGROUND OF NEW ZEALAND.

There were places on the West Coast, where tens of. thousands of tourists would be glad to go to. Tourist routes, tracks and huts would require to be provided; also an extension, of. existing accommodation at hostels, which would of course become easier if the licensing laws were amended. The flax industry, he said, was almost dead in the province and was no doubt capable of being revived considerably. There had really been no new industries established in the Grey and Hokitika districts for many years, and there was no light industry for men to come back to from overseas and rehabilitate themselves as should be possible. As he saw it, the proposed organisation wag aimed at developing and starting up new industries. The organisation represented for the first time any plan for to-morrow, instead of just living for to-day. It seemed to be a good opportunity, for the West Ooast, with all its resources to fall into line with other parts of the Dominion’.

Mr. Mawson addressed the conference at length on the aims and objects of. regional planning throughout the Dominion. This was the eighth of the series of conferences he had addressed and with one exception, the aims had been, endorsed and were in every form successful. The whole area was to work and organise for national development and it was backed by the five major departments of State, which were concerned with the economic development

jf the country. The organisation, he said, was set up in pursuance of the Government’s- policy of full employnent of a useful and permanent nature after the.war; there required to oe a sufficient diversity to employ all workers, so that it should not be accessary for any member of a family ‘ ’

.. to leave his district. To put It lainly, work has to be taken to the orker. not the worker to the works.

he full employment so far as New ealand was concerned depended on. le development of their natural relurces. The tourist trade had an en’mous future in post-war years, jch was the essence of the contract. 1 , e

war- was arriving to an inevitle conclusion and if they did not emulate plans and move on the* J >uld find themselves flung back ir the same position as after the If tS t ir. It was to ensure that they woi ready for the peace. It woulcj fee

as big a jojo to win the peace as win the war arid they should prepare and .plan so far as was humanly possible. The plan' required to be a coherent and integrated national one. He referred his listeners to 'diagrams prepared Which gave some outline of the proposals for national development. Referring to local boundaries, he gave his opinion that there would be mo quarrel if Westport was a separ- : ate boundary. The Buller area could rightly perhaps be constituted a region or sub-region and make an efficient unit. There could be no question of sectional interests or sectional loyalties. It was proposed to place a town and country planning act on the Statute Books as a policy measure of the Government. He said that any cos l of Regional planning would be borne by the State, as a national matter.

BULLER PROPOSAL It was stated by Mr Kitchingham that there was a desire on the part of both Buller and Inangahua to nave, a separate" regional'‘ unit'on their own account,' arid he could see no objection to such a proposal, though he pointed out that recently a Catcnment Board formed in Westland went as far north as the Reefton Saddle, Mr J. M. Robertson, Mayor of Westport, said he was pleased to know that regional boundaries were not already fixed. “We in the Buller are an integral part of the Nelson Land District and we consider we are still part of the Nelson Land District, and are a sub-committee of the Nelson Provincial Patriotic Council. Our district, combined with Inangahua, is one of the most valuable with its many mineral resources of any area in New Zealand,, and important enough to have a region of its own. I feel that the success and efficiency of regional councils will be better served by the formation of a separate unit. Westport is a natural outlet for coal and produce from our own area and the Inangahua country. Our harbour, is run from Wellington; the public works from Greymouth, and the. Railways from Christchurch, while we have also an absent member of. Parliament. —‘Paddy is never there.’ he said, amidst laughter “We have natural amenities in Westport and the making of the finest harbour on the_ West Coast, Mr Robertson said. It was, he said, the centre of export for the whole of the West Coast. What was required tor such an organisation were men with a local knowledge. He suggested the council there be composed ol Buller and Inangahua district residents. If it was impossible to form a region o< their own, then it was suggested that Buller and Inangahua link with Nelson. „ Mr F. W. Archer, Chairman or the Inangahua County Council, said that they were in accord with Buller in this matter. The potentialities in both districts warranted them having an area of their own. Mr Mawson suggested that Messrs Robertson and Archer had put up an unanswerable argument, and there would be no need for a quarrel about areas. He suggested that the Buller and Inangahua County areas proceed with the immediate setting up of their own council. There was nothing whatsoever to prevent the Buller (authorities from, proceeding with the establishment pf a regional authority. Mi Kitchingham said they could therefore, take it for granted that this would be done, and these two areas excluded from this district’s activities. „ Mr M. Wallace, on behalf 01 the Westland County Council, said he could see no objection to Westports uroposal, and he considered it presented a unique opportunity of showing what could be done in that region. Mr Robertson returned thanks for the courteous manner in which they had been treated, and hoped thatjjoth districts would co-operate in every way possible. Mr Kitchingham moved and Mr A. R. Elcock, Mayor of Hokitika, seconded a resolution that this conference endorse the principle of regional planning as the most practical means of promoting the economic de'velopment of the region and approves, of the establishment of a regional planning organisation tor the West Coast, comprising the Grey and Westland Counties and Borough areas. The motion was carried unanimously. A provisional committee oi nine was then, set up to make recommendations with respect to: (a) the most appropriate type of planning organisation; (b) the personnel and method of appointment of such organisation; (c) the name of a suitable chairman; (d) the constitution and terms of reference of the proposed planning organisation, the committee to report to a further meeting of the conference within two months, this meeting to be convened by the Mayor of Greymouth. The provisional committees appointed comprised Messrs A. R. Elcock, representing combined boroughs, M. Wallace, representing combined Counties, J. Barrow (Trades and Labour), W .Clayton (Farming Industry), J. E. Stokes (Rehabilitation), W. J. Ellis (Alluvial Mining Interests), C. J. Strongman (Coal Mining Industry), and representatives to be appointed to be yet approved by the Westland Progress League and sawmilling interests.