PLANNING OF TOWNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20251, 10 May 1929, Page 13

PLANNING OF TOWNS.

MISTAKES IN THE PAST<

MUNICIPAL OVER-SPENDING.

SUBDIVISION RULES BLAMED.

[Br XEIjEGRAPIT,—OWN con respondent.]

WELLINGTON, Thursday. The regulations governing land subdivision are blamed by the director of town-planning, Mr. J. W. Mawson, for municipal over-spending on roading and drainage. Mr. Mawson to-day outlined amendments to the Town-Planning Act which will shortly be considered by the Town-Planning Board. Referring to his tour of New Zealand, which is yet incomplete although ho has covered a great deal of ground, Mr. Mawson said ho considered the result had been very satisfactory from many points of view, and he had fouud a wide public interest in the subject of town-planning. "I detest the words 'The city beautiful,' " said Mr. Mawson, "because their uso loads people to think that beauty is the sole object of town-planning. Give me the city practical and it will automatically become the city beautiful. Many people have said to mo, 'lf you are going to interest people in townplanning you will havo to show that there is money in it.' I have accepted that, and I am attempting to show Now Zealand that there is money in it, and in that I can say that I have already succeeded beyond expectations.

"I have been to show that the municipalities of New Zealand are grossly over-spending in regard to tho provision of public utilities. I may say that the majority of towns in New Zealand aro over-roaded and havo provided public services and utilities for populations in many cases more than double what they have to-day, so that the present population is carrying the burden of debt for families which do not yet exist. High Cost of Maintenance.

"The maintenance of these roads and services amounts to £2 16s a head of the population. In much older countries the charge is less than half of that. The reason is that by an uncontrolled land development wo have spread the urban population over too wide areas, necessitating the running of miles of roads, pipes, gas mains and electric mains to servo outlying populations, while there are large intervening vacant areas. "Tho whole fault lies in our system of land subdivision, which requires an owner to form and dedicate a road before he can place his property on the market. That means that while there are vacant sections in towns, every new road which is dedicated is an extra liability on the community. "The present Town-Planning Act has been of very great value, but it has been a negative value because it has shown up very clearly some weak points. Tho most important amendments contemplated are: (I) To enable the preparation of regional planning schemes over very wido areas, in order to provide a united policy of physical development which will form the foundation for the separate statutory town-planning schemes; (2) to provide local townplanning authorities with power to control the subdivision of land and the erection of buildings pending the final completion and approval of townplanning schemes; (3) the probable revision of the compensation and betterment provisions of the Town-Planning Act.

Errors Not Serious. . "On the whole the mistakes which have been made in New Zealand are not of a serious nature. That is to say that we shall not be involved in the expenditure of enormous sums. The standard of health and amenities obtaining in New Zealand is higher than can be found in any other English-speaking country, and I make that statement with a full knowledge of the conditions in other countries.

"The mistakes made here are really in the realm of economics. Wo have been trying to run before we can walk. Many of our towns have been laid out and developed for a population they are not likely to reach for generations. In the boroughs of New Zealand we have provided to-day a frontage of roads which were formed over 40ft. per head of population. After making full allowance for the requirements of industry, business and shops, and for the _ lowest density of population which can economically be admitted, we find that we should not have exceeded 20ft. of loading formation per head of population. That will give some idea of the wastage, and that is to say nothing of the imlos of roads which have been dedicated."