Waipukurau Borough

Opunake Times, Volume LVV, Issue 3675, 19 October 1923, Page 3

Waipukurau Borough

A LIVE COMMUNITY. ERA OF PROGRESS. The civic pride of tha citizens of Waipukurau (H. 8.) and the competence of and progressive spirit displayed by the borough council might well, serve as an example to many other boroughs, perhaps larger, but incomparatively inferior as regards municipal development. Figures to hand show that, taking into consideration the size of the ! borough, it must, as regards civic progress, rank amongst the leading municipalities of the Dominion. Despite the fact that the population of the borough is only 1,400, it possesses a splendid water service, electric light, and power It has had recently installed a complete santiary drainage system at a cost of ('23,000, and a modern theatre, with four shops, to cost £14,000, is about to be erected in the town.

Housing. The borough's housing scheme has been carried out and attended with such success that several other local bodies of the province have obtained details with a view to adopting similar measures.

With originally borrowed from the State Advances Office, the Council erected twenty houses, which are all occupied by satisfied residents. In view of the success of the first ventuie, a further was borrowed, 'with which seven more houses have just been completed and also occupied.

The scheme embraces several features which are a distinct improvement on those adopted in some other centres. • For instance, the houses are erected in any part of the borough svherever the applicant has a section, one of the conditions being that app'i -.ants must own a freehold section within the borough, which is transferred to the Council, at the Council's expense. Then the buildings are not of uniform design as is often the c ise in such schemes, but the plans and specifications are drawn to suit the purchaser's desires, and it is therefore impossible, when traversing the borough, to say which is a borough house and which is not. Briefly, some of the most important conditions governing the scheme are: The maximum amount advanced by the Council is £7OO (the amount was at first £B3o, but has baen reduced, owing to the cost falling', Purchaser enters into sn agreement for sale and purchase, prepared by the borough solicitor at his expense, agieeing to repay principal and interest monthly, at the rate of £7 per cent per annum (5 per cent interest and 2 per cent sinking fund) for years. Tenants cannot let or sell within five years, without the concent of the Council. Applicant submits his own plans and specifications of proposed house, which a committer of the Council must approve. The council Calls for tenders. If the tender accepted exceeds the amount advanced by the Council applicant must pay the difference, or | reduce the job to amdiint of grant, j This house building scheme, says an baa given the town a considerable uplift, to say nothing of an excellent advertisement, and has enabled many people to purchase their own homes on exceedingly generous terms, who would otherwise have to rent indifferent houses, pro* bably at higher rates, and put up with all the disadvantages of the rental system. The conditions attaching to such a scheme give the Council an ample margin of security, with little, chance of any possible loss