TOWN PLANNING

Southland Times, Issue 21109, 14 June 1930, Page 8

TOWN PLANNING

REGIONAL QUESTION QUEENSTOWN’S POSITION ) DISCUSSED OTAGO OR SOUTHLAND? The report from Dunedin relating to the question of the inclusion of Queenstown in either the Otago or Southland regional areas has caused considerable interest in Invercargill and the opinions of several citizens were obtained yesterday. The president of the Southland League expressed the opinion that Queenstown had always been held to be within the activities of the league, although the Otago League also operated there to a certain extent. It is of interest to recall that the Southland League holds quarterly meetings at Queenstown. Last November when the meeting took place there the Mayor of Queenstown (Mr W. 11. Overton) in warmly welcoming the delegates expressed deep gratification at the executive’s decision again to hold a quarterly meeting at Queenstown. He also spoke in appreciation of the league’s readiness always to give attention to matters affecting the Queenstown district. Strong representations were made to the league to urge the completion of the Queenstown-Kingston rotid. one of the arguments used in support of the representations being that the bulk of the Queenstown people were most anxious to have’ direct communication by road as well as by rail with Invercargill, the natural centre of trade. It is also interesting to note that the Southland Education Board District and the Southland Hospital Board District include Queenstown. Queenstown Favours Southland. When approached on the question yesterday afternoon his Worship the Mayor, Mr J. D. Campbell, had no hesitation in giving his opinion that Queenstown had always been recognized as being in the Southland area and “really belonged to Southland.” It was an open secret that both the Queenstown Borough Council and the Lakes County Council had recently approved of Queenstown's inclusion in the Southland regional planning area. Queenstown was in the Southland Electric Power Board district, and it was well-known that the people of the district considered they were inside the Southland provincial boundary. There was a difference of some 70 miles in the distances from Dunedin and Invercargill to Queenstown, and it was only natural that trade between Queenstown and Invercargill would be favoured on account of the lower freight charge.? because of a shorter route. Another matter was the construction of the road along the lake. This was primarily sponsored by Invercargill and Southland, and when completed would give direct road communication between the city and Queenstown. Its completion would place beyond doubt whether or not Queenstown would be portion of Southland. Tourist Trade. “While we are not directly affected whether Queenstown is included in either the Otago or Southland region planning areas, there appears to be no doubt that Southland would be placed at a disadvantage if Queenstown went under Otago,” said Mr R. W. Coupland, the local tourist officer. “Tourists aboard overseas boats berthing at Bluff and desirous of ‘doing’ Queenstown, ight easily believe that to get to Queenstown ‘in Otago’ they would require to make Dunedin first, whereas Queenstown ‘in Southland’ would tell them that they could land at Bluff and travel to the resort from Invercargill.” At present, Bluff was recognized as the port of Queenstown, so to speak, he said.