STATE DEVELOPMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25796, 17 March 1945, Page 9

STATE DEVELOPMENT

AREAS NEAR WELLINGTON LARGE-SCALE HOUSING PLANS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Mar. 16. Important proposals for the planned development of Porirua Harbour, Titahi Bay, and the Upper Hutt Valley are embodied in Gazette notices published to-day. They are issued under the amendments to the Public Works Act incorporated in the Finance Act No. 3, which was passed last session. The amendments were designed to prevent the inflation of compensation for the lands affected by virtue of prior knowledge or partial completion of the development works. The areas affected are in the Porirua basin, including Tawa Flat and Titahi Bay, the Judgeford area, and in the upper part of the Hutt Valley, including the Upper Hutt Borough. Stokes Valley, and Mungaroa Valley. The Minister of Works, Mr R. Semple, explained to-day that the notices did not mean that all the land in these areas was to be acquired by the State or any local body. “The taking of certain parts,” he said, " will not mean disturbing the present residents, except where a building is in the. direct line of some road or other development. In general the residents In the areas can look forward to improved amenities. “The works envisaged,” Mr Semple continued, “ include a new water supply and improved access between Hutt Valley and the Porirua basin, via the Haywards-Pahautanui highway. There will also be other services, such as electricity, drainage, sewerage, and transport. In the case of Porirua there will be an improvement of the electric railway system, which will be fed by buses to provide a fast suburban passenger service. The main road through Ngahauranga Gorge will be extended from Johnsonville to Plimmerton. The Waterloo railway will be extended to join the Wairarapa line at Silverstream with a double line to Upper Hutt. The main road right through the valley will be converted to a modern four-lane highway, and the Hutt River will be bridged near Taita.”

Mr Semple said that two years at the most would be needed to complete the State housing scheme in the lower part of Hutt Valley. The Government contemplated providing many thousands more dwellings under the Housing Construction Act, while leaving full allowance for private development. He wished to make it clear that those desirous of building their own homes within the area to be acquired by the Crown would have an opportunity to do so. As soon as the development work was sufficiently advanced the Government would be prepared to dispose of sections for this purpose.