TRANSIT CAMP

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 224, 21 August 1945, Page 4

TRANSIT CAMP

NEED FOR URGENCY DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL The City Council's efforts to provide a transit camp for families in desperate need of housing in Palmerston .North are to be expedited and this week the Mayor (Mr Mansi'orcl) is to visit VVellington to ascertain if the Showgrounds are available for this purpose and, if not, whether some of the larger Army and Air force buildings in the district are available from the "War Assets Idealisation Board. Proposals are also to be investigated that the camp might be established at the site of the former military camp, reached by the new Centennial Drive, at Hokowhitu. Cr J. T. Heatley urged that instead of planning only to establish the camp at the Showgrounds, the possibility of setting up the camp at Hokowhitu be examined. At the Showgrounds all the council's work would have to be simply left when the need tor the transit camp had passed. If the camp were established at Hokowhitu, the council would have an asset, as a motor camp, at the close of its occupation. The Mayor said he had recently been approached by no fewer than five families in dire need of housing accommodation. He knew of 12 or 15 families in urgent need of houses who would move to a transit camp immediately, and he was not concerned with location of tho carap—his concern was that it be provided speedily. There were now 36 or 40 families who urgently required houses lin Palmerston North. if the camp could be established quickly at Hokowhitu, then he did not mind if it were there. Cr T. P. Hart said a now camp could not be provided as speedily as one at the Showgrounds where particular amenities were at hand. Cr C. L. Mowlem said he knew of two cases which were most urgent. I The Mayor said that if the camp at Hokowhitu, with the purchase of new buildings, would cost £.3000 or £4OOO, as against £IOOO for the Showgrounds project, it might be much better to undertake the latter. The officials of the Housing Department, he knew, were at their wits' end to provide houses. Cr. Heatley said he did not desire to obstruct the matter, but he wished to see the council have something with which it could justify its actions to the ratepayers when times improved. Cr F. G. Opie urged that the departmental officers of the council inspect the other site with a view to estimating the requirements, should the. Showgrounds be not available. | The Mayor was empowered to make all investigations as to the second project if he found tho Showgrounds could not be secured.