INTENSE HOUSING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 281, 27 November 1936, Page 7

INTENSE HOUSING

THE GOVERNMENT’S SCHEME PLANS HELL FORWARD. STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, Nov. 26. Plans were practically completed for the building of homes in the main centres, said the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage in a statement on the housing scheme to-day. By February, he said, contractors would probably begin building in Wellington, where 400 houses will be erected. Land would be available at Orakei, Auckland, for about 316 houses. Other areas were being made available for use at the same time. By the end of January or beginning of February a contract would be let for anything from 200 to 400 houses in Auckland. Some weeks after this they would be able to let a contract in Christchurch and in Dunedin. The Lands Department had been asked to recommend suitable sites for housing purposes in practically every secondary town in New Zealand, and in every important town the Government hoped to have the scheme going as soon as possible. They were already taking steps to acquire two educational areas in Palmerston North. Local bodies had started to interest themselves in the Government’s offer of money at 3 per cent., and Mr. Savage predicted that before the year had far gone there would be a very large number of building schemes conducted by local bodies. By the end of March, he said, the available building labour and incidental general labour necessary, and manufacturers of material for housing would be moving as never before in New Zealand.