WINGATUI DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26473, 29 May 1947, Page 4

WINGATUI DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

Sir, —The propasal to initiate a largescale housing project in the area between Mosgiel and Wingatui appears at first sight to be a most admirable one. sinc» the area has many advantages for such a purpose. I wish, however, to put before you a few considerations which may be of interest to those who have the responsibility of making these important decisions. The Mossiel-Wingatui district has some of the best farm land on the Taieri Plain, and much of this land is devoted to dairying. It is a well-known fact that the total acreage of first-class farm land' suitable for dairying in Otago amounts to a very small fraction of the whole. The result of encroaching on these lands with large areas of houses would certainly be the destruction of the productivity of the district, with a consequent serious effect on the already none-too-plentiful milk supply to town consumers. If no other areas existed for the building of houses, then these objections would needs be over-ruled, but there arc areas right under our noses which have evidently been overlookd, in some quarters. First, there is the large area of vacant land in the Dunedin area to which Dr McMillan has already drawn attention. The needs of industry could be well ‘met by using the foreshore, the use of which for an airport has been seriously questioned by several authorities. There also exists, just south of Abbotsford, a large area on both sides of the main railway line which is gently undulating, unproductive land covered in many pieces with gorse. This area has the advantages of being close to the railway, the main road, and water could be supplied from the race, which runs not far away. In addition to the above, there is land for building on the hilly parts of Bumside. Green Island, Wingatui, Mosgiel, and Kicearton (East Taieri), to mention a few. It would seem, therefore, that a great deal of investigation, as well as forethought, is needed before decisions concerning the housing scheme are made.—l am, etc., Mosgiel Resident. May 27