PUT AREAS IN WELLINGTON

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 September 1929, Page 2

PUT AREAS IN WELLINGTON

NEW RAILWAY WORKS WILL ABSORB ONE-QUARTER.

LOOKING ±’OR WARD 50 YEARS.

WELLINGTON, Last Night,

The Mayor of Wellington has sent a letter to the Minister of Railways in connection with Wellington’s proposed new station, in the course of which he states: “Many statements having appeared in the press, associated with the name of the Mayor of Wellington regarding Wellington’s now station, building and yards, and as these have boon more or less ambiguous, I now commit the matter to writing. There can then be no misunderstanding. “In the first place, I may point out that it is far from my mmcl to embarrass either yourself or your officers in what I know is a very difficult problem, viz, the lay-out of a modern railway station yard. This great undertaking once completed, cannot be undone. The question that I ask you specially to consider is the large one of policy, seriously affecting the future of the City of Wellington—whether, in view of the extraordinarily small area of flat land available in the City (405 acres) it is wise to utilise so large an area (110 acres) for railway yards, and this question must be considered not in the light of conditions obtaining at present, but in view of conditions that will obtain at least 50 years lienee. “To make provision for warehouse and business sites during the past 50 years 183 acres of land have boon reclaimed from the harbour, apart from railway reclamations (.110 acres.) Now, if all this additional area has been required to provide for an additional population of 84,000 during the past 50 years, where is the City to find the warehouses and business areas to provide for the additional population of 200,000 which can bo anticipated during the next 50 years ’’ asks Mr Troup. “1 therefore raise the question whether it is wise or expedient, in view of the shortage of flat land, to occupy in the very centre of the City, 110 acres with railway station yards, that being the area contained in the now passenger and goods yards as laid out.

‘ ‘ The suggestion I offer is this—that the ’Railway Department provide only for a passenger yard and sufficient goods shod accommodation to meet loeal requirements at Wellington, and construct the main goods and_ marshalling yards by means of a reclamation at the junction of the Hutt road with the Petonc beach. If this were done, 40 acres would probably suffice for the Wellington passenger yard and goods sheds and sidings, leaving 70 acres for the Railway Department to lease for warehouse and business promises; and may I say here, that 1 do not suggest the new station building should be located at Davis street, as has been stated. I see no reason why it should not be located either at Bunny street or at the end of Lambtou quay, where the present Lambtou station is, preferably the latter, for reasons of city transport. “I may point out that rarely in any station yards in the large cities of Great Britain, Europe or America are the goods yards and. the passenger yards contiguous. They are usually separate, the passenger yard being in the centre of the city and the goods or marshalling yard often many miles away. ’'