THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, February 15, 1946. HOUSING IN DUNEDIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26078, 15 February 1946, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, February 15, 1946. HOUSING IN DUNEDIN

If nothing immediately productive came out of the conference on housing that was held in Dunedin on Tuesday, it was because houses cannot be produced out of the air. The conference was useful, first in providing public men in thq city with a wide view of the problems of housing provision to-day, and secondly, in pointing the way of approach to meeting these problems with resolution and resource. Sir James Fletcher, who spoke with no less authority because he has given up his war-time Government appointment, and so occupies a position in which he can criticise State policy, provided some interesting information upon the actual position in the building trade. It is clear, on his exposition, that the housing shortage in New Zealand can be relieved only slowly, and, indeed, it may become even more acute as returning servicemen, complete with wives and departmental loans, press for a quarter-acre home in the land they fought to preserve. What the total demand for houses amounts to, Sir James did not say. It is probably not estimable in unit numbers, but there are known to be literally thousands of persons in the cities desirous of obtaining houses, while in the smaller towns the demand is scarcely less in relative terms, and it extends throughout the country districts. In addition, as was emphasised at Tuesday’s conference, hospitals and schools are so badly in need of extensions that in many cases their needs must establish a priority lien upon available workers and materials. To meet the full building requirements of the country is not, on the figures put forward by Sir James Fletcher, possible to-day. When allowance is made for increased costs, the building programme that it is permissible to undertake at the present time is somewhat lower in scope than that put in hand in a normal pre-war year—and the Dominion has virtually seven years’ leeway in building to make up. It is not, however, worth repining this hard situation. In fact, it might well become people in the Dominion to consider how much more difficult their position would have been had the country been exposed to air raids by the Japanese. Available materials, in the opinion of Sir James Fletcher — an opinion that is apparently also the computation of the Government —will allow for the building meanwhile of 12,000 houses only. The present operations in New Zealand consist of 6000 houses to the order of private individuals and 4000 for the State under construction, so it is evident that the present rate is not likely meanwhile to increase materially. The Housing Department’s proposal to erect a block of State flats in Dunedin is, presumably, part of a plan to expedite the housing programme. It may, if carried forward, effect that purpose, but it cannot be regarded with enthusiasm. Apart from temporary housing, and apart from the scattered State housing, which, as Sir James Fletcher points out, is creating “unbalanced suburbs ” of impermanent rental homes, the problem remains. There is a need for long-term planning. There is a need in Dunedin for work to be undertaken now to facilitate building as it becomes practicable. The Kaikorai highway scheme will provide new building areas, and others can be prepared also. Citizens should rouse themselves to meet the obligation upon them to provide returned servicemen and others with adequate housing. A policy is required based upon the moral grounds of responsibility to these homeless young New Zealanders that may, incidentally, pay material dividends to this city.