TOWN PLANNING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20892, 5 December 1929, Page 15

TOWN PLANNING.

MEETING OF BOARD. ’>- ■ ■ MINISTER REVIEWS WORK ACCOMPLISHED. (Special to Dailt Times.) WELLINGTON, December 4. A meeting of the Town Planning Board -was held to-day and was presided over by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle). Mr Perrelle said that it was with somewhat mixed feelings that he addressed the board at frbat was probably its last meeting as at present constituted; but he did so with pleasure and satisfaction in the knowledge of the success which had attended the labours of the board during the past_ year, particularly in regard to the placing of the 1929 Town Planning Amendment Act on the Statute Book, and regret at the thought that some of then! might be met there f° r the last time as members of the board. “I do not need to remind you that all The members of the board, with the exception of the five who are members by virtue of their office in the Government service, were appointed on the nomina-, tion of the bodies they represent .for a period of three years,” said Mr Perrelle. “ In the case of Messrs Alexander, Page. Bogle, Nathan, Norwood, Blackley, and Newton this period expires on January 27, 1930, and in the case of Dr Hercus, on January 31. Although I may be permitted to express the hope that we shall all be here at the next meeting of the board it is just as well to remind you that your nomination for a further term of office is entirely a matter for the discretion of those bodies by whom you were originally nominated. Whether you are re-appointed or not, however, I wish to express to all of you in the name of the Government, and, I- think I may say of the people of New Zealand, pur very sincere thanks and sense of the very deep obligation under which you have placed ,us by your public spirit and self-sacrifice in giving so much of your tune to the work of the board. In this, of course, I include Mr Hammond, the first director of town-planning, • who retired last year, and Mr 'Bush, who retired at the beginning of this year. Howeyer long the board may continue to function _in the years to come nothing can deprive you of the credit for the spade work which has been done during the first three years of its existence. T6wn planning, largely through your efforts, is now _ firmly established throughout the on a very solid foundation. - I referredrto the passing of the Town Planning Amendment Act during the past few weeks. We agree that these amendments do not completely cover all the points in the principals Act which need revision; hut it is a very solid achievement, and one in which we can take pride and satisfaction as a board. When the board meets again next year it will have to devote its attention to these other points, particularly the revision i of ■ the compensation and betterment provisions, for I am satisfied that no substantial progress can be made in the execution of the - schemes until compensation and betterment has been placed on a more reasonable and equiable basis. It will be necessary, also, nhink, for the board to prepare a set of general provisions for inclusion in all town planning schemes in order that we may set up definite standards and secure uniformity throughout the country in the preparation and administration of these schemes.

“In connection with regional planning schemes, the board dtecidfed that a circular letter should he sent to all local authorities in the Dominion asking them to take into consideration at an early date the question of the regional area iu which their districts are situated. It was further decided that a series of public inquiries should be held by the board in the various centres throughout the Dominion at which evidence could he secured from all interested parties in regard to the boundaries and the regions which will have to be defined by notice in the Gazette prior. to the setting up of the regional committee and the preparation of schemes in regard to the standards of light and air space. The hoard agreed as to the necessity of defining the standards in and around and the height of buildings for the guidance of local authorities, and instructed the director of Town Planning (Mr Mawson) to confer with the technical officers of the principal local authorities throughout the Dominion in connection with this matter and to bring down a report for the consideration 1 of the board at its next meeting.”