TOWN PLANNING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21641, 6 November 1933, Page 5

TOWN PLANNING

VACANT DIRECTORSHIP NEED FOR APPOINTMENT The necessity for appointing' a director of town planning is stressed by the Auckland branch of the Town Planning Institute of New Zealand in a statement referring to the recent remarks made by the Hon. J. A. Young in reply to questions by Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P., regarding the operations of the Town Planning Act. It was acknowledged that the Minister had correctly stated the legal position, but he did not seem to be aware that the Town Planning Board had discouraged the preparation of statutory schemes pending the preparation of regional schemes, and in fact would not deal with separate schemes until the major proposals were before it. The Minister's reply indicated that the board would now permit separate schemes to be forwarded, even within a metropolitan area, which would be against wise principles of planning, or that optional regional schemes must be prepared, and this, in the absence of an appointment of a director, was most unlikely. Consequently the statutory schemes were really in abeyance, and town planning was not effective as stated by the Minister. It was difficult to see how town planning could proceed, failing , the appointment of a suitable person as director, and the many schemes now in preparation were at the stage when the technical assistance and requirements of the director were essential. There was no.one to guide local authorities on the varied questions of model bylaws necessary for the scheme, and to lay down the question of conformity of basic requirements of notation, technical details as to height and bulk of buildings, and to act as technical adviser to the Town Planning Board on the many vexed questions likely to arise in considering a scheme. Apart from that, the director would organise the whole movement throughout the country, making planning an active force. It was also necessary that every scheme of subdivision under certain sections of .the Land Act should be approved by the director, and this approval in the past was slowly improving the standard of subdivisions submitted.

On all scores, the appointment was necessary and urgent and the local branch considered that the Minister would be well advised to proceed with the selection, of a competent man.