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its county. The Orders in Council necessary to implement all tlie above proposals have been duly issued, and the Department has rendered the local authorities all the help possible in launching the schemes. This general development is particularly significant, and should prevent much of the disfigurement which has taken place through uncontrolled development in county areas in recent years. If extended to include the majority of the watering-places and holiday resorts the result should be to provide really restful surroundings in our recreational areas. The Town-planning Board, in the exercise of its functions, has from time to time felt it desirable to make suggestions to local authorities as to the necessity for planning particular areas. During the current year the Government decided to proceed with the transfer of the Palmerston North Railwaystation and yards from the centre of the city to an area in the Kairanga County. The Board felt that this work would naturally result in urban development in the area adjacent to the proposed station, and as a consequence suggested to the Kairanga County Council that it should prepare and submit an extra-urban planning scheme for the area. The County Council agreed with the Board's suggestion, and it has now been empowered to prepare the required scheme. In view of the fact that the Government proposed to proceed with the development of extensive iron works in the Onekaka region, the Town-planning Officer was asked to prepare a lay-out for the town which would necessarily come into existence as an adjunct to the works. Preliminary investigations have been made in this regard, but no definitive plans have yet been submitted. If the work proceeds, it is confidently anticipated that it will be possible to lay out a town on the most modern town-planning principles. One of the most interesting developments during the year was the issue of model town-planning clauses. These clauses, which were prepared under the auspices of the New Zealand Standards Institute by a committee representing all phases of town-planning interests in the Dominion, embody a very comprehensive set of provisions relative to the preparation of town-planning schemes. In addition to formulating certain general provisions, the clauses also make recommendations regarding physical measurements and similar criteria. The clauses have been submitted to all the interested local authorities in New Zealand and to a large number of professional bodies and individual professional men for general comment and criticism It is proposed at the end of twelve months to review the clauses in the light of the comments and criticisms received, and it is then hoped that the clauses will be prepared in their final form. It is, of course, admitted that as circumstances change from time to time the clauses may have to be altered, and in any case it is granted that in drawing up a scheme for any particular locality the individual clauses may need considerable adjustment in the light of local conditions ; but as a guide in preparing individual schemes the clauses should go a considerable distance in assisting local authorities. The general problem of education in relation to town-planning is one which requires the immediate consideration of all parties likely to be interested. The Town Planning Institute, through its journal and by its general publicity work, has done admirable service in this regard, but the Town Planning Board believes that the time has come for intensive propaganda work in this direction. Major developments of an industrial character are about to take place in New Zealand, and if delay is experienced in the putting into force of town-planning schemes, then much harm will be done and much damage will result. In this connection, attention is drawn to the proposal to incorporate a town-planning exhibit in the Government court at the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition. B. Hutt Valley Development Scheme. The developments which have been taking place in the Hutt Valley iti the industrial and housing field in the course of the past two or three years have raised some very important problems as to the future of the valley. The Government and the local authorities concerned have recognized the necessity for a plan setting out a general scheme of development so that such developments as take place will proceed in a logical fashion. The activities of the Housing Construction Department alone are resulting in a very considerable increase in population, and this increase demands a correlative increase in the supply of services. On the other hand, the tendency for heavy industry to locate itself in the southern portion of the valley has become very marked in the course of the past few years and has raised problems of the first magnitude. After considerable discussion the Minister of Internal Affairs, in conjunction with the member of Parliament representing the greater part of the district (the Hon. Walter Nash), decided to call a conference representative of all the Government Departments, local authorities, and others directly concerned, in order to discuss the question of the preparation of a master plan for the whole district. The conference met in Parliament Buildings on the Ist March, 1939. It unanimously endorsed the proposal to prepare a master plan for the district, and then proceeded to make certain recommendations as to the procedure that should be adopted in preparing that plan. Discussions subsequently took place with certain representatives of some of the local bodies, and finally Cabinet, after due deliberation, decided to appoint Mr. J. W. Mawson, Town-planning Officer of the Department, to prepare a scheme of development for the Hutt Valley. In so doing, Mr. Mawson was instructed to maintain close co-operation with the local authorities affected in preparing this scheme. Although the method of procedure decided upon by Cabinet did not conform to the method recommended by the conference and in the subsequent discussions, Cabinet felt that its method of procedure had all the advantages of the method suggested at the conference and would achieve the desired results in a quicker time. Mr. Mawson straight away set up an office in the Lower Hutt Borough and, assisted by a suitable staff, commenced the work of preparing the scheme of development. His first task was the preparation of the physical, social, and economic surveys of the area which are necessary before any positive planning can be done. It is anticipated that the surveys will be completed within a short time, and that the final report embodying a plan for the area will be presented to the Government and to the local authorities concerned within a period of twelve months.

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