TOWN PLANNING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26228, 12 August 1946, Page 7

TOWN PLANNING

VISIT OF SECRETARY ~A general outline of town planning was given to members of the Oamaru Borough Council in the Council Chambers on Friday night by Mr J. W. Cox, secretary and legal adviser to the Town Planning Board. The Mayor (Mr J. C. Kirkness) presided, and there were also present Crs G. E. Glen, A. E. Hodge, J. Meikle. A. Bain. A. R. Tait. M. F. E. Cooney, E S Stubbs and A Wilson, the borough engineer (Mr K. A. Ballinger) and Mr L. H. Grenfell (town clerk’s office), * Mr Cox stated that under the Town Planning Act all local bodies with , a population in excess of 1000 were under an obligation to prepare town planning schemes. Oamaru was under that obligation, but so far no scheme had come forward. In New Zealand there were not the qualified men to undertake such work, and it was obviously impossible for local bodies, other than those in the main centres, to have their town planning officials. The idea was to have at the centre trained men who could be loaned to local bodies. One of the essentials of town planning was to accent the differences of each town and reduce uniformity. In the Industrial towns of England the density of the population increased, whereas in places like Oamaru. when the population increased, the borough was extended. Such extensions involved high costs in new roadways and services. Consequently, with that background, said Mr Cox, development had to be held as much as possible. Oamaru was long, bordered by the sea to the east and hills to the west, and each time a new house was to be erected the north road was the area offering. Lack of Reserves “ We are finding throughout New Zealand that there is a lack of reserves. Mr Coxa said. Reserves, to be of value, should be close to the people who are going to use them. When going into the question of reserves, consideration has to be given to the persons who will use' them and the purpose for -Which they are' to be used. Trees planted intelligently help to give a lift to a town. In town planning the borough had interim control up to a point, Mr Cox said. It had been assumed that since 1926 a scheme had been in the course of preparation in the borough. If the council saw fit to disapprove of the location of an industry under its proposed scheme,, the applicant for the industry could appeal to the Town Planning Board, which would hear both sides and make its decision. ... A general discussion followed, after which the Mayor thanked Mr Cox for his interesting and helpful explanation of town planning.