TOWN PLANNING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26747, 16 April 1948, Page 6

TOWN PLANNING

ACQUIRING OF LAND WIDER POWERS SOUGHT MOVE BY MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE An amendment to the Town Planning Act to give power to local authorities to acquire land for development is to be sought by the Municipal Association of New Zealand. Mr E. W. Nicolaus, Upper Hutt, who moved a remit to this effect at the annual conference yesterday morning, said that municipalities found themselves m tne position that, although their zoning maps had been approved, they could not allocate land to industries because the owners of the land refused to sell it. The amendment sought was one which would give to the municipality the power to acquire the land. Unless it was able to do so, the municipality might as well scrap its town-planning scheme. He claimed that industrial organisations would build wherever they could obtain land, and any attempt at town planning would be useless. Mr W. Appleton, Wellington, said that industrial development in many municipalities was contingent upon land being made available readily. A further' remit, moved by Mr Nicolaus, “That it be made law that, where municipalities acquire land for development, the land shall not be sold again, but shall remain the property of the people and the municipality for all time, 1 ’ was lost. Taxi Industry A Wellington remit, moved by Mr M. S. Galloway, asked that the law be amended to give better control by licensing authorities of the taxi industry.—lt was pointed out by the mover that in Wellington and in some other centres the great bulk of the taxi industry was controlled by companies, which, although they consisted of a large number of licensed members, did not in themselves hold any licence. The various restrictions and controls did not bind these taxi companies.— The remit was seconded by Mr Will Appleton (Wellington) and carried. Mr A. F. Moncur introduced a remit sponsored by . the Rotorua Borough Council and the Executive Committee, that “ the Government be asked to revise and bring up to date as soon as possible,, town planning legislation.’’— Mr Moncur explained that the Rotorua Borough Council’s by-laws provided for residential sections of not less than 20 poles. The provisional town-plan-ning scheme approved by the Townplanning Board sets the minimum at 32 poles. They were faced with possible litigation. AH that was asked for was that the legislation should be brought up to date. —Referred to the executive for action. Rating Exemptions Mr M. A. Anderson (Mount Albert) moved—“ That the Government be recommended to amend the exceptions to ‘ rateable property ’ in section 2 of the Rating Act to provide that only lands occupied by churches and chapels owned by religious bodies should be exempt from rates.” The mover explained that a church building had been erected in his borough which was owned by a private person, who had applied for exemption under the Rating Act. The owner had admitted that he rented the property to a church body and'obtained rent from it. Mr Anderson considered that under such circumstances there was no justification for a claim for exemption from the payment of rates, and that exemption should be given only to a corporate body.—The remit was carried. Valuation of Land A remit moved by Mr E. W. Nicolaus (Upper Hutt)—“That the unimproved value of land shall be approximately that of the current value as laid down in the Valuation of Land Act”—was overwhelmingly defeated—The mover said that as the result of the Land Sales Act any revaluation of land would only reflect approximately the value as at December 15, 1942. It was pointed by Mr Will Appleton’(Wellington) that it would be dangerous to pass such a remit. Local bodies, as well as private persons, had the right to ohject to any valuations which was a most valuable safeguard against anomalies. Urban Farm Act Mr W. P. Hartstonge (Mosgiel) moved: “That the Urban Farm Land Rating Act be amended by the inclusion of a clause making it a condition precedent to the granting of reductions in the rateable value of urban farm lands that such lands must ba farmed effectively and to the reasonably full capacity of the land—the mover explained that a number of part-time farmers were obtaining substantial benefits under the Act at the expense of “ genuine farmers.”—The remit was carried. A remit, moved by Mr Hartstonge and seconded by Mr W. P. Glue (Christchurch) asking for the control of artesian wells was carried without discussion.