Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1939. A NEED OF PLANNING.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1939, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1939. A NEED OF PLANNING.

WAVING been compelled, in face of a united and resolute stand by the Kuku settlers, to abandon its proposal to acquire their lands, the Government now finds itself assailed as vigorously by the market gardeners of the Hutt. Valley. The Kuku settlers objected strenuously and successfully to being turned out of their dairy farms. The Hutt cultivators now proclaim themselves prepared to tight to the last ditch against being deprived of their gardens. It may be doubted whether any democratic government would persist in taking lands in face of such a protest as is now being raised in the Hutt Valley, the more so since the case stated by the market gardeners has the appearance ol one that it will not be easj to answer or rebut. Two main contentions advanced in opposition to the Government’s proposals are that the market garden lands m the Hutt Valley are much too valuable to be used for housing development, and that ample areas ol less valuable land, uhich would provide admirable housing sites, are available comparatively near at hand. Official estimates admit an average yield from' the market garden lands of £2OO an acre per annum, but speakers at the protest meeting at Taita on Thursday evening named a much higher figure. Allowing for the factors of nearness to a city market and the possibilities of intensive cultivation, the value of annual production from the lands evidently may be expected to increase largely as time goes on. That there are plenty of alternative sites for housing within convenient reach of Wellington is hardly in question. At the Taita meeting, the report of the Director of the Hutt Valley Development Scheme (Mr J. W. Mawson) is reported to have been challenged hotly and some rather disparaging remarks were made about town planning in general. It would be quite unfair to criticise Air Alawson in this matter without specific information as to the instructions on which he acted. It is one thing to lay out housing sites in the Hutt Valley and an entirely different thing Io plan the extension of the Wellington metropolitan area to the best' advantage. There is a lack of evidence that Air Alawson has had any real opportunity to plan the development which has resulted thus far in the Government running its head into one hornet’s nest after another. It should not be forgotten, however, that when Air Alawson was appointed as Director of Town Planning ten years ago or more he lost no time in promoting the regional planning of the whole Dominion. It is not his fault that this eminently practical and necessary policy was later dropped. Planning on an adequate scale is precisely what is needed to point the way to a permanent and satisfactory solution of the problem by' which the Government is confronted in the Hutt Valley. The massing of houses on additional hundreds of acres of valuable market garden land in that valley is hardly suggestive of planning. Very much better results surely might be°aehieved by the regional planning of all the territory in a wide radius around the capital city. With the total region broadly, but methodically surveyed, there would be no greatdifficulty about selecting the areas that might be brought most advantageously under immediate development, for residential settlement or'other purposes. At the same time, development based on comprehensive planning would establish safeguards against any approach to confusion or congestion as time went on. It is a matter largely of taking intelligent thought for the future, but this need not entail incurring any expenditure ahead of the time at which it is fully, warranted. Indeed, methodical regional planning and town planning commend themselves primarily from the standpoint of economy. They oiler both present and future saving. A policy based on adequately comprehensive planning may be recommended, too, as a means of enabling the Government Io avoid unpleasant experiences like those that have hoi alien it at Kuku ami the Hutt. Development on these lines is unlikely at any lime to invite or occasion serious opposition, because in planning fid! regard is paid to economic and oilier circumstances and the ruling aim is to study the best interest and advantage of all concerned. In planning and carrying on the development of a wide region around Wellington city, or in any other part of New Zealand for that matter, it should seldom be necessary to disturb settlers making good and enterprising use of fertile lands, whether in farming or market garden industry. It is in general highly desirable that tracts of rich land should be left in use and cultivation between areas of poorer land on which residential or industrial development may be carried out advantageously. Decidedly the best thing the Government can do in dealing with its present housing problem in and around the Wellington metropolitan area, and in dealing with similar-problems elsewhere, is to drop the policy of trying io find short cuts and adopt instead that of basing development on comprehensive regional planning.