H—2B

16

The unformed road which fringes the foreshore of Diamond Harbour Settlement was in the Mount Herbert County, and we considered that this should be incorporated in the Borough of Lyttelton. (3) Palmerston North City : Kairanga County Following the inquiry which was held on the 22nd September, 1948, into the question of the extension of the boundaries of the Palmerston North City, a provisional scheme was promulgated on the 27th January, 1949. Objections to the provisional scheme relating to the inclusion of certain properties in the city were lodged. As certain of the objectors had not had the opportunity of being heard at the public inquiry, it was decided to hold a further public inquiry to consider these particular objections. The properties of these objectors had been considered by the Housing Construction Division of the Ministry of Works as suitable for development for State housing purposes, and evidence was given at the inquiry that the Department intended to acquire this land progressively for housing. The properties were being used for farming purposes, and the objectors were strongly of the opinion that unless there was a clear undertaking given that they would be acquired for housing purposes, the properties should remain in the Kairanga County. As witnesses for the Ministry of Works stated that it was the Ministry's intention to acquire these properties, and in view of the undertaking previously given by the Palmerston North City Council that farmers would not, by reason of the incorporation of their land in the city, be placed in an unfavourable position regarding rating liability, the Commission considered that no hardship would ensure pending the lands in question being acquired by the Crown. In view of the decision to include these additional areas in the city, and the resultant availability for residential purposes of adjacent areas by reason of the provision of drainage facilities, the Commission decided to exclude the Awapuni area to the south of the city, comprising some 456 acres, which had been included in the city in the provisional scheme. (4) Papatoetoe Borough : Manukau County A proposal to extend the-boundaries of the Papatoetoe Borough arose as the result of a petition which was forwarded by thirty-two ratepayers of the Manukau County in areas adjoining the Papatoetoe Borough. The petition requested the Borough Council to take the necessary steps to have the areas in which their properties were situated included in the Borough so that such amenities as water-supply, fire protection, recreation areas, and the Town Hall, which were provided by or were situated in the borough, could be fully availed of. The petition was referred to the Commission by the Department of Internal Affairs for such action as it considered desirable. Before proceeding in the matter, the Commission undertook a general inspection of the areas, which at that time had not been defined. At a later date, submissions were made by the Borough Council defining the areas which it considered should be included in the borough, and these areas were taken as the basis on which the inquiry was subsequently conducted. The inquiry was commenced on the Ist March, 1949. It was evident to us that considerable activity in regard to subdivision and the erection of new houses was taking place in the borough, and the location of Papatoetoe in relation to Auckland and the intervening industrial areas of Penrose and Westfield indicated that the borough was developing as a dormitory suburb in relation to these localities. The frequency of transport, both road and rail, to Auckland and other parts of the metropolitan area gave further support to this view. The marked trend of development to the south of Auckland, and the difficulty at that time of securing building-sites in the metropolitan area, had, in our opinion, created an unusual demand for building-sites in the adjoining areas, and a considerable increase had taken place in Government values of property in the borough.