THE ORAKEI BLOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15550, 6 March 1914, Page 6

THE ORAKEI BLOCK.

The Government's purchases of land at Orakei suggest that the way may soon be open for the utilisation of a 600-acre block, which, but for Maori ownership, • would long ago have been a populous suburb of Auckland. An effort was recently made on the initiation of the Mayor to secure this land for the city and convert it into a model suburb. Mr. Parr failed to secure Parliamentary sanction to his scheme, but the discussions on the subject spurred the' Government into negotiations with the natives which have already resulted in numerous purchases, and in other cases are sufficiently advanced to enable the Prime Minister to express the hope that the whole block will soon be in the hands of the Government. Should this eventuate there can be no question of the city's claim to an opportunity for reconsideration of the model suburb proposal before the land is utilised for any other purpose. So far no information has been made public regarding the price at which the Government is purchasing the land. This is an essential point, for the city does not contemplate a large expenditure at Orakei merely for the purpose of showing how a suburb can be laid out if expense is no object. Such an enterprise would be financed by the city, the city would risk its money, but the risk would be taken in the expectation that the model suburb would be commercially as well as residentially successful. If the whole of the block is secured at a reasonable price the model suburb scheme can, with the assent of the Government, be laid in detail before the electors and there is every reason to believe that their decision would be favourable. In any event the city is to be congratulated on the prospect of an early extension of residential-Auck-land through the Orakei block.