TOWN PLANNING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22099, 1 November 1933, Page 8

TOWN PLANNING

OBLIGATION ON LOCAL BODIES REGIONAL PLANNING OPTIONAL. ♦ From Odb Pabuamentab? Repobteb.) WELLINGTON, October 31. > The fact that while town planning is compulsory under New Zealand legislation regional planning is optional appears from an answer that has been given by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Young) to Mr Jordan. Mr Jordan asked last week whether the Town Planning Act was still operating or whether each local body made its own arrangements in these matters. The points in the Minister's answer are of wide interest to local bodies. He states that regional planning legislation as contained in the Town Planning Act, • 1926, and the Town Planning Amendment Act, 1929, is still in force, and it is competent for local authorities to act thereunder. He understood that proposals were in train in Auckland some time ago to set up a regional committee with a view to the ultimate preparation of a regional panning scheme, but owing to a diversity of opinion among the local authorities concerned no finality was reached. If these authori*ties were now in a position to come to an agreement there was no reason why a regional planning committee should not be set up. . The regional planning legislation is of course optional, says the Minister. So far as town planning schemes are concerned the provisions' of the Town Planning Act, 192 C, as amended, are also still in force. Under these provisions the obligation has been imposed on all city and borough councils whose districts have a population of not less than 1000 and certain other local authorities to prepare town planning schemes before January 1, 1937. He understood that several' borough councils had these schemes in preparation, and a scheme from one borough council at least was recently submitted for the consideration of the Town Planning Board.

“ The fact that the Government does not intend to appoint a director of town planning at the present time,” said the Minister, “does not in any way affect the operation of the statutory provisions governing the preparation of regional planning schemes and town planning schemes.”