BEAUTIFYING ROTORUA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20982, 19 September 1931, Page 14

BEAUTIFYING ROTORUA.

LAY-OUT OF THE TOWN. EXPERT'S RECOMMENDATIONS. UNIQUE PLANS SUBMITTED. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] KOTORUA, Friday. Designed to achieve a definite New Zealand individuality and to evolve a beautifying scheme which would make Rotorua unique among the towns of New Zealand, is a most comprehensive and exhaustive plan completed this week by Mr. F. Tschopp, who, for some time past, has been engaged in drawing up reports and' plans for the Rotorua Borough Council. Mr. Tschopp is an expert landscape architect with wide Continental and American experience. Realising the value of his specialised knowledge a united public effort has been made to retain his services in order that he may draw up full reports on all aspects of the street planting, zoning, and lay-out of the town. Originally Mr. Tschopp was engaged for one month, but in order to prolong his engagement and enable him to complete his scheme, an appeal for financial assistance was made by the council to interested bodies and private individuals. So encouraging was the response that the council at its meeting this week decided to engage him for an extended period. . Comprehensive Nature of Report. The report which Mr. Tschopp has sub- | mitted is a remarkably comprehensive document. It includes a complete survey of the principle which Mr. Tschopp considers should be adopted on general lines. There is a section dealing with stormwater drainage, and its application in conformity with the other proposals of the scheme; another section dealing with public utilities and their relation to the general lay-out; a sub-report upon and complete list of the classes of trees and shrubs which it is suggested should be used in planting the streets and reserves; recommendations for the general lay-out of suburban areas and in regard to street j illumination; planning of parks and reserves; improvements to the native villages at Whakarewarewa and Ohinomutu, and a comprehensive drainage scheme. Although the report was laid before j the council at its meeting this week, consideration of it has been deferred for another three weeks, in order to give councillors an opportunity of assimilating its contents. The Beautifying Society, which on Wednesday voted a sum of £lO 10s toward the fund, for Mr. Tschopp's retention, lias also been supplied with copies of the report for consideration. Planting of New Zealand Flora. S;noi(s rind athletic bodies in the town have also shown their desire to take advantage of Mr. Tschopp's experience by agitating for the lay-out of the Kuirau reserve as a central sports area and athletic park. Mr. Tschopp at present i 3 engaged in preparing plans in this direction, and the project has aroused considerable interest. In order to achieve a distinct New Zea- ! land individuality, it is recommended in I the report that the tree-planting should i be carried out entirely with New Zealand I trees and shrubs, and Mr. Tschopp has (made exhaustive investigations to deterj mine the most suitable types of New j Zealand flora for this purpose. His rej port recommends the standardisation of i all the streets, in conformity with modern i town-planning ideas, and his proposals for i tree and shrub-planting are designed to I achieve a definite colour scheme. 1 Flowering manukas, korimikos, totara, I New Zealand honeysuckle, hinau, tawa, i kohukohu. cabbage palms, riinu, white ; and red beech, and dozens of other varieties of New Zealand trees and shrubs I are recommended for planting in the different streets of the town. Some Revolutionary Proposals. In his introduction to his report, Mr. | Tschopp states that, although some of i tho proposals arc rather revolutionary in | form, and consequently differ from pre- | conceived ideas and standards, it must be | appreciated that the full realisation of j the plan will take many years to achieve ; and that it can only be attained by the j whole-hearted support and co-operation oi' all sections of the community. Considerable interest has been aroused i bv the suggestion embodied in the report j for the lay-out of Fenton Street, the main arterial route through the town. Under j Mr. Tschopp's scheme it is proposed to I institute three-way traffic on the boulevard j plan, with avenues of native trees and j shrubs planted along the entire length of : the street. I Interesting proposals also are made for i enhancing the attractions of the native | villages at Whakarewarewa and Ohine- | niutu, and in this section of his report Mr. i Tschopp has emphasised the, necessity for j developing a typically Maori setting in i the houses and their surroundings, i All public icserves and parks are to be | dealt with by Mr. Tschopp in supplementary reports, and it is expected that when his work is completed Rotorua will have a definite plan for development | which can be carried out as financial | resources permit.