TOWN PLANNING BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19413, 23 August 1926, Page 10

TOWN PLANNING BILL.

HOUSE PASSES MEASURE.

POSTPONEMENT DEFEATED,.;

BETTERMENT PROVISIONS;

CLAUSES TO BE RECONSIDERED.

[EI TEISG&APH.—SPECIAL E.KPORTEJI. ] ■V WELLINGTON,. Sunday.

The Town Planning Bill was committed and passed by tHe' Souse of Representatives early on Saturdayimorning with a reservation that the betterment'provisions would be amended'-by the Government when the measure was 'before the Legislative Council, the House to * have an opportunity : to consider the amendments later on.' '■_ ■' ■■ "<

Early in the committee stage Mr. A. Harris (W&iterr/ata) moved that the date of operation of'the bill be January 1, 1928, or ;12 months later than the' proposed date. He found only two Supporters, Messrs.: H. - L. 'Ta,pley ; (Dunedin North) and T. E. Y. Seddon (Westland), and the amendment was defeated by 53 votes tO .3. '■ • ' ■'/> The new betterment clause inserted by the Lands Committee applying the machinery of the Public Works Act to the determining of increases in property values as a result of town planning operations led to some discussion and several, members expressed doubts about it. The Prime Minister said-frankly that neither the original clause nor the one proposed appeared ,to bo quite satisfactory and the whole matter needed very careful consideration, especially with regard to the results which would come from the application of the betterment principle. He was aware of several 'alterations that would certainly have to be made,,. Great numbers of property owners would be affected and ha wished to make sure that in its final shape the clause would be perfectly., fair and , equitable. The Leader of the. Opposition, Mr., H. E. Holland,, agreed with Mr, Coates' suggestion that, the clause be amended in the Legislative Qouncil and afterwards recommitted to the House. The bill was accordingly, committed and read a, third time; The House adjourned at 1.55 a.m.