TOWN-PLANNERS’ TASKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 636, 12 April 1929, Page 8

TOWN-PLANNERS’ TASKS

DIRECTORS’ EDUCATIVE CAMPAIGN REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES Press Association WELLINGTON, Thursday A review of the activities in th« cause of town-planning: was made today when the Town-Planning Board met. Mr. G. P. Newton, Under-Secre-tarv of Internal Affairs, presided in the absence of the Minister, the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle. Instructions were given to the director to hold local inquiries and report to the board in connection with appeals which had been lodged under Section 34 of the Town-Planning Act, against the decision of certain authorities to refuse to issue building permits on the ground that the proposed buildings were likely to interfere with the amenities of the locality affected. The director reported that he had been actively engaged in visiting the larger centres of population in the Dominion. He had already completed a tour of the South Island, and was gratified with the wide public interest shown in the subject. He had accepted invitations to visit and address meetings in 30 towns in the North Island during the next six weeks. These included a meeting of the whole of the authorities in the Auckland metropolitan area, to discuss the formation of a joint regional planning committee. Invitations had been received from a number of other towns which It had not been possible to accept in the time at present at his disposal. The board considered the amendment of the Town-Planning Act and regulations to enable effect to be. given to its proposals in respect to regional planning, the extension of the time limit within which town-planrJng schemes have to be submitted to the board, revision of the compensation and betterment provisions, and wider powers for local authorities. The hope was expressed that finality would be reached on these matters at the next meeting of the board, which is to be held in the first week in June, so that the necessary recommendations could be made to the Government before the meeting of Parliament. The director reported that he had been approached by the Auckland University authorities for his opinion in regard to the syllabus of the school of town-planning, which it is proposed to establish in conjunction with the school of architecture. As this was a matter in which the institutes of architects, surveyors and civil engineers were deeply interested, he had invited these bodies to appoint representatives to confer with him on the subject, and also upon the steps to be taken for the formation of a townplanning institute for the Dominion. It was decided that the director should approach the director of education with regard to the possibility of publishing informative articles on town-planning in the school journals, the delivery of a series of lectures to the students in the various training colleges, and possibly, in due course, the inclusion of town-planning in the curriculum of the primary and secondary schools.