REGIONAL PLANNING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 13 April 1945, Page 2

REGIONAL PLANNING

SOUTH ISLAND EXECUTIVE • PROPOSED More autonomy for the South Island was suggested in a resolution, carried by the North Canterbury regional planning conference at Christ-' church yesterday. The conference re-1 jected a proposal that the Canterbury Progress League should act as the re-1 gional planning council for North Canterbury, and set up a provisional! committee to nominate a suitable [ council. The following resolution was car- 1 ried: “This conference agrees with thej principle of post-war planning and ( development. It considers the re- j gions as laid down by the Govern- j ment to be too small to yield the most j broadly efficient results for the gen-1 eral welfare, but, as it is informed that most of the 24 areas into which New Zealand has been divided have already been formed into regions, it must acquiesce. With a view to obtaining the most practical results from this scheme, it agrees: “(1) To set up a provisional committee consisting of the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr E. H. Andrews), the presidents of the Canterbury . Chamber of Commerce (Mr S. A. Mair), the Canterbury Manufacturers’ ; Association (Mr D. V. Wilson), the Canterbury Progress League (Mr S. P. Taylor), the Canterbury Agricul- ' tural and Pastoral Association (Mr IR. T. McMillan), the Canterbury I Trades Council (Mr J. Roberts), and the Christchurch Suburban Local Bodies’ Association (Mr H. S. S. Kyle), and a representative of rural local bodies (Mr F. Coop), charged with the duty of nominating a representative and efficient regional i council for this area. | “ (2) To approach the other region- ! al councils in the South Island in an j endeavour to get them to elect a | South Island executive (to work in ! collaboration with the executive of the South Island Local Bodies’ Association) and, if this is done, “(3) To ask the Government to give the South Island executive: (a) sufficient authority to carry out necessary surveys and investigations, and to promote developmental work which is necessary and is within existing legal requirements: (b) suffi-j cient funds to open and maintain a South Island central office wTth an ad- j equate paid staff and equipment: (c) j the right to approach the Cabinet, directly on important issues requiring legal sanction, and recognition that this executive speaks authoritatively for the South Island generally.”