NEW ROAD IN DOMAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21049, 7 December 1931, Page 10

NEW ROAD IN DOMAIN.

CRITICISM OF PROPOSAL. PRETTY BUSH GULLY INVADED. PROTEST BY ARTS SOCIETY. The City Council's decision to build a new motor road in tho Domain, from Stanley Street to the ponds, is beginning to evoke hostile criticism. A protest has' been received from the president of the Auckland Society of Arts, Dr. E. If. Ounson, who writes:— " It is difficult to believe that the suggestion further to disfigure the western slope of tho Domain Reserve by a ' modern ' roading scheme, presumably planned to include floodlights, is other than the vapouring of an irresponsible official. The fact, however, that the proposal has received considerable publicity impels me, on behalf of the Auckland Society of Arts, strongly to protest against a scheme which would involve the spoliation of a public reserve." Investigation on tho spot shows that the road, if constructed,. will entirely alter the character of the charming little wooded gully formed by the stream from the ponds. This gully, which is unique in the inner area of Auckland, will be opened up and invaded by motor traffic for the upper 250 yds. of its length. The proposal, which the council adopted on November 26, is to form a road up the hill immediately to the left of the straight footpath which runs from the Auckland Bowling Club's greens to a point on tho upper Domain Drive, nearly opposite the ponds and kiosk. It is intended to carry out tho work under the No. 5 unemployment scheme at an estimated cost of £B7OO. The road will be 570 yds. long and 42ft. wide, including two 6ft. footpaths, and the average grade will be 1 in 11. The object is to provide an additional outlet enabling light traffic to avoid the busy intersections between Queen Street and Newmarket. Route Pegged Through' Bush. The Auckland council of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture was consulted before the scheme was made public, for the reason that a considerable amount of bush would have to be destroyed in carrying out the work. Thfe council of tho institute gave its approval, stating that tho bush was of little value, and no material damage would be done to the Domain. Pegs driven by the council's engineering staff show the course that tho road will take. From Stanley Street it traverses an open paddock for some distance and then enters the bush, first skirting and then descending into tho gully, which it follows until the upper drive is reached. To trace the pegs through the bush involves a good deal of scrambling up and down banks, and is not an easy matter. Much cutting and filling will be needed to build tho road, which at one point will have to sidle round a steep face nearly 30ft. high. A certain amount of rock walling will be required. For about half its length tho road will be within the borders of the present bush, and for a considerable distance it will run only a few yards from the creok. The guliy is almost completely filled with a mixture of native and exotic trees, which shut out tho sky and make it cool in the hottest weather. Outside sounds do not compete with the splashing of the little stream. The path, with its rustic bridges, is much frequented, especially on summer afternoons, and altogether the little dell gives enjoymnt to thousands every year. Alternative Suggested. It is easy to agree with tho horticulturists that tlie trees threatened by the scheme are not of much value in themselves. Tho real question is whether tho gully shall be opened up to motor traffic and have its present character permanently destroyed, as it would be no matter what replanting were undertaking. If the road really fulfils its purpose as an outlet for motor-cars en route to the south-eastern suburbs, tho noise of traffic ascending the grade of 1 in 11 will banish quiet from even the undisturbed lower reaches of the, stream. An inspection of tho lower Domain Drive, running up from Stanley Street, suggests that for considerably less than £3700 its worst bends could be eliminated so as to make it a more useful road for light traffic from the city. If it were considered too much of a detour a deviation might be made to connect it with the upper drive near the bandstand. Tho bush in that neighbourhood, bordering on tho nursery, has been thinned so much recently that a road could be built without changing tho character of the site. This route would take only a minute or two longer to traverse than that adopted by the council and to all appearances the grades would be easier.