TRANSIT CAMP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21816, 12 September 1945, Page 4

TRANSIT CAMP

AIR FORCE HUTS COUNCIL’S REQUEST MAKARAKA DOMAIN The military establishment at the Makaraka Domain is to be converted into a transit or temporary housing camp to help solve the housing problem existing in Gisborne if the Government will support a recent Ministerial announcement. This was decided at the meeting of the Gisborne Borough Council last night, when it was agreed to urge the Government to establish transit camps in accordance with an announcement by the Minister m Charge of State Advances, the Hon. W. Nash, that to meet the pressing demand for houses, the Government would offer local bodies, free of cost, surplus service camps and certain other buildings that previously had been used for war activities. In some cases where service camps were situated on Governmentowned land the Government itself would provide transit or temporary housing accommodation. Where local authorities desired, surplus buildings in service camps would be made available to them free of cost. Buildings at Camp

The Makaraka Domain is Crown land and the facilities there include 76 huts 30ft. by Bft., a composite kitchen and mess room, four ablution buildings, two bower buildings, four latrines build's gs and a laundry and drying room. Arising from previous representaions made by the council, the Minister dated that on further incmiries he was advised that there were still a considerable number of buildings in the Gisborne area that could be adopted to transit or temporary housing, if such a scheme was undertaken by the council, particularly at the airfield. “I am advised, however, that the air -station is some miles out of the town and it may be necessary to transfer some of the buildings from that site to another site,” he stated.

“If it is so desired by your council. I would be glad if you would make inquiries as to the best method to carry out your wishes and I would be glad if you would make inquiry of the commissioner, of works, Wellington, who is in charge of the arrangements for transit camps and temporary housing,” the Minister concluded

Some Disposals

A copy of a letter received by Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., from the Minister was also tabled. This read: “In refer-

ence to your letter dated August 2 covering a communication from the town clerk, Gisborne, conveying a resolution protesting against the removal from the. district of military buildings which might be used for temporary housing, I have had the position investigated. “It is true that certain isolated buildings declared surplus to requirements have been disposed of through the War Assets Realisation Board, and that some of the buildings at the air station have been taken over by the Works Department partly for use on hydro-electric projects and the balance for re-erection at the Internal Marketing Division’s factory at Hastings. Notwithstanding .this, a very substantial amount of buildings remain on the air station, and these are not being removed until the position can be investigated and a decision arrived at as to whether they can be adopted to housing purposes, either temporary or permanent.” Not Council’s Obligation

“It is not the council’s obligation to provide houses for the people,” stated the Mayor, Mr. N. H. Bull. Speaking of the Minister’s offer for the Government itself to provide transit or temporary housing accommodation where service camps were situated on Gov-ernment-owned land, he said they should accept the offer. The buildings were on the spot and could be more easily and quickly converted into transit camps at less cost than the alternative, which was that in cases where it was necessary or advisable to transfer buildings from privatelyowned land on which they were at nresent situated to other land under the control of a local authority, the Government would arrange f or the delivery of buildings or materials to the new sites.

In these cases the local authorities would themselves take the initiative by advising the Government of their requirements in connection with the buildings in the area they controlled and subsequently accepting the responsibility for the erection or alteration of buildings and the allocation of tenancies, collection of rents, and provision, of maintenance and supervision. “If we get busy now we will partly solve the problem,” declared Mr. Bull. Other councillors spoke in support of the proposals, which were agreed to without a dissentient.

At the request of Mr. G. D. Muirhead the council is to investigate the position in regard to the military buildings at the aerodrome, of which the council is part-owner.