IMPROVING ROTORUA

Taranaki Daily News, 7 July 1931, Page 9

IMPROVING ROTORUA

TOWN PLANNING NEEDED.

“CONDITIONS FAR FROM IDEAL.”

■“I have formed the idea—rightly or wrongly—that conditions here are far from ideal,” said Mr. J. W. Mawson, Director of. Town Planning, in an address at Rotorua. “To mo it appears hard to. say if the town is actually progressing as a tourist resort.” Rotorua was known over all the Eng-lish-speaking world and was great national .asset- to Zealand. Eventually it would attract more of the great tourist traffic which at present was such a valuable source of . revenue to European countries. To a certain extent the borough ..had. in the past been hand-fed by the Government and this had not encouraged the growth of, a community spirit. The formation of the new beautifying society showed this was awakening, but he pointed out that similar organisations had been active in Rew Zealand for up to 30 years. . Rototua'.had more to gain from the promotion of beauty in every form than any other town in New Zealand. It was ,a good business move and would result in improved commercial activity. Nature was a generous friend and good use could be made of her by the planting of trees and flowering shrubs. The new society should not entirely centre its attention on the publicly-owned lands, as ugly surrounding privately-owned lands could, nullify, all their efforts. The community was really a single unit and all lands should be improved in common, fhe approaches to the town were one of the greatest points of importance, as lirst iihpressions often coloured a visitor’s whole .impressions of a place. The need' of a definite plan in lay-out was urged by Mr. Mawson. Most streets were well established in character and it would be a wise move to establish these definitely before more building was done. It was for the townspeople to decide which parts should be- residential and which reserved for shopping, also the character of public reserves. •It should be possible to link all parks by boulevards so that visitors could walk from one sight.to another along shaded roads. Misguided effort might, spell a waste in time and money. Co-operation with the local governing body was essential, ,in this case, both Borough Council and Government. The speaker considered, the society should be largely advisory and should undertake no work needing capital outlay. - ■ - • Mr. Mawson suggested that the society could concentrate on the surroundings of the national points of interest, Rotorua’s ■ thermal wonders and the native villages. He would like to see the natives housed in dwellings designed in accord with their traditional architecture, but . conforming, of course, with modern ideas of sanitation. Fenton Street at present appeared,very unfinished, and he suggested a double boulevard on the lines "actually in the mind of the original surveyor.- There would be 30ft carriageways for local traffic on either side o°f the present bitumen strip, separated by lines of trees. The centre could be used as a carriage-way 30ft -wide for through traffic only, and there would be a 15ft footpath on each side of the •street,

Touching :on the development of the lake front, Mr. Mawson suggested that a competition, for designs might he conducted, open either to New Zealanders only, or throughout the Empire..lf this were done :the‘scheme should be comprehensive in. scope, ensuring a unified design covering the lake front, the Government grounds and adjacent public lands.

“I would plant trees in every street of the borough,” declared Mr. Mawson. In Tutanekai Street the trees should be grown down the centre, with carriageways on either side, not at the sides as at presentThere . should be no fence in Rotorua, the gardens'continuing right down to the street-line. This had been done in California, giving an impression of acres of garden and of neighbourliness. Dilapidated buildings were a sign of bad citizenship and should be attended to. There was an unseemly lack of restraint in advertising in- Rotorua, particularly in the colours used. Riotous painting was a feign of selfishness, an attempt at stealing a march, on a neighbour. The design of buildings should be of a definite architectural note, but he did not suggest only one. fixed style. The local authority had the power to regulate building along these lines, but the speaker suggested it would be more effective if a committee of citizens was set up to make recommendations in connection with new erections.

“A very definite improvement in the borough, could easily be achieved by the following, of these broad lines,” said Mr. Mawson in conclusion.