RURAL HOUSING

Lake County Mail, Issue 36, 11 February 1948, Page 3

RURAL HOUSING

Special discussions on rural housing were held at the end of last week between Federated Farmers and the Sheep Industry Commission. Various housing plans previously put forward by the Federation were discussed and documentary evidence presented detailing the steps taken by the Federation. The Commission showed particular interest in the proposals for the building of State rental houses in rural areas and the Federation was asked to have details of numbers of houses and suitable localities presented to it while on tour throughout the Dominion next year. This the Federation’s representatives agreed to do and provinces are being circulated inglyThe last approaches to the Government on this matter were made by a deputation to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Works, following the annual Dominion Conference of the Federation in July last. Then the Federation asked that absolute priority of 10 per cent, of the total available materials for private building, exclusive of rehabilitation building, should be given rural housing construction. It is also asked for cheap finance to be made available ranking pari passu with existing first mortgages and that State rental houses should be built in rural townships after consultation with local branches of Federated Farmers concerning their most suitable and needed location.

Last month a detailed reply was received from the Minister of Works in which the Government recommended that the Federation should make use of existing legislation providing for assistance to farmers for improving or increasing housing accommodation. It was suggested that County Councils should be urged to operate the scheme provided in the Rural Mousing Act, 1939, whereby money could be made available through the State Advances Corporation. The Federation has promised to

guarantee the rental of State houses built in rural areas for farm workers but the Minister suggested that such guarantees should be given by County Councils rather than branches of Federated Farmers. He felt that a satisfactory arrangement could be negotiated between the Federation and the Counties Association. If that were done then application for the construction of dwellings would be received and reported on by the Councils, passed to the State Advances Corporation for consideration and, if approved, construction put in hand by the Housing Division. Some form of representative committee, the Minister proposed, could be set up on each County to determine the allocation of tenancies. The Federation circularised provincial executives on November 14, asking them (1) to communicate with the County Councils in their provinces and secure the Council’s views on the suitability of the Rural Housing Act, 1939, for increasing rural housing; (2) whether or not Councils would be prepared to guarantee rentals for farm workers in their areas living in State houses, and (3) that branches should submit information regarding number, size and allocation of houses required in their areas. The third point is the one about which information is particularly required by the Sheep Industry Commission. It wants to know the numbers of State rental houses required in rural areas and the particular location of them. The information should be given to it in evidence as it visits the various provinces next year.