1951
VICTORIA
OF THE
TOvVN AND C()lJNTRY PLANNIN(j ROAR1)
.FOH Tlll:: l'BlllOlJ
lsT ,JULY, H)50~ TO 30Tn JUNE, 1951.
PREI:lENTED TO BOTH HOUI:lES 01:' PARLIAl\lEXl' l'ultl:IUA~T TO i:~ECTION 4 (3) OF THE TOWN AND UOUNTHY PLANNING AUT t9H.
[.fpPt"o.rintiJ/e Coet ~1 Rqort.-l'reparatlon-not. given, l'rln~ng (<50 cuple>), £8:.].
t111 6\nfltoritt) J. J. GOl!RU:Y, GOVERNMENT PRINTEI MEU>UURJ•lE. r-.e .•>.-Lls. 6d.].-ll:?84/5l.
Page
Constitution of Board ~) TlJ,. Aet
Ribbon UPvdopment on Highwayb aH Appeal:; Against Tnterim DeYelopmeut Order Deci~iom; LutrobP \" all<·y :-\ub-Hcgional Phmning :-\chenH' :-\poilation of the Latrobc Bin·r ..\loc Planning Scheme !l ..\Ionl'ell Planning Scheme 10 Traralgon Pbuning Scheme lU Yallourn North Planuiug Seheme 10 Tyers Planning Seheme .. 11 Eildon Sub-Regional Planning Scheme 11 City of N una wading Planning Scheme 11 Shire of Tnngamah (Cobram) Planning l:kheme 11 L:elliondale Planning Scheme 12 Tallangatta 'l'ownship Remo1·al 12 c:cdoug and Vistriet Planninl! Scheme 12 \'i;;it;; by Boanl 13 ., Borough of Iknalla--Scheme Ullder Section ;)HI of Local l:onrnmcnt Act 10 Traflic Congp::;tion South of HiY<:'r Yarra. Housing Commis~ion-Hoad Link in 1'.\orthcotc l're~tou Estate Land U;;e Zoning .\letropolitan I m proYcmenL Fund .. Ba::;p JlapH for PlanniHg i:\chcme::; CoHt of Preparing Planning Reheme~ lG Co-operation of G01·ernment Departwt•nts and Publit Autlwritie:s ]I Land Tramaetions hy Public Authoritit's 11' J<]uueation of Town and Country I>JnnnerH l!J Cumberbud Connty Comwil Pla.nning ~clwme ] !l :\ntional Pttrks . :-I<·IPdion of Pla<·l' XaJw·~ ~taff aml A('conmwuation Town and Country Planning Board. SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT. State Offices Annexe, 107 Russell-street, Melbourne, C.L 1st November, 1951. The Honourable, the :Vlinister of Public Works, Public Offices, Melbourne, C.2. SIR, 1. In accordance with the requirements of Section 4 (3) of the Town and Country Pla·m~·ing Act 1944 (No. 5043), the Board has pleasure in submitting to you, for }Jresentation to Parliament, the report on its activities during the twelve months ended 30th June, 1H51. 2. 'J'he Board held 46 weekly formal meetings as well as being represented at many conferences in both metropolitan and country centres. THE CONS'l'l'I'UTION OF THB BOARD. 3. On 26th February the five year term of the Board's appointment terminated. l\Ir. J. S. Gawler retired from the Chairmanship, and in his place, Mr. F. C. Cook, who had bt>en a part-time member siuce the inception of the Board, was appointed. 4. Mr. A. N. Kemsley was re-appointed a part-time member for a further five years. 5. On 27th .June, Mr. A. C. Collins was appointed for three years. THE ACT. 6. In certain cases an inteq)retation of the Act has been sought by councils and subsequently machinery amendments have been requested which would clarify some sections and remove any doubt as to their operation. 7. During the year the planning schemes for Cobram and Nunawading were approved by the Governor in Council only after the deletion of clauses dealing with the acquisition and disposal of land and the discontinuance of any non-conforming uses which may have been considered injurious to a neighbourhood. 8. These provisions in some cases are vital to the implementation of schemes, and the Aet is being further examined and the opinion of the Crown Solicitor sought as to the amendments necessary. The Board wants to ensure that planning schemes, when approved by the Governor in Council, are effective ·without resorting to other legislative powers outside the scope of the 1'own and Country Planning Act and further approvalH by the Governor in Council. ' 9. In the Fifth Annual Report the .Board drew attention to the necessity of adding ;, railway, tramway, road, water, and air transport of goods and passengers " to the Schedule of the Act as matters which may be included in planning schemes. This addition to the Schedule was rendered more necessary by the amendment to the Act which made the :Melbourne and :Metropolitan Board of Works the responsible authority for the preparation of a planning scheme for the metropolis. 6 ] 0. The legislation whid1 appointed the :\Ietropolitan Town Planning Commission in lH22 to report on tlw conditions of metropolitan development and prepare a plan, included the following arnong the matters set down for enquiry : "(a) Street and road requirements generally, including extensions, mam arteries and radial systems, and the opening of new streets, roads, and highways, and the dosing or diversion of existing streets, roads, or higlw:ays; (b) t•xisting means of transportation and probable future requirements with t·es}wet to railways, tramways, or other means of tram RIBBOX DEVELOPMENT ON HIGHWAYS AND 1'IAIN ROADS. 14. The Board was given an opportunity of commenting on a request by the Collntry Roads Board for legislation which would enable access to certain highways to be limited. In the interests of road safety, the Board is fully in favour of such limitations of frontage accesB, and has encouraged the use of zoning powers in town planning schemes to prevent unnecessary entrances to main roads on the outskirts of to' PLANNI~G SCHEMES·--·GENEHAL. 17. Since the passing of the Town and Country Planning Act in 194-i and the appointment of the Board in 1946, 50 municipalities, as indicated on. the accompanying map, out of the total of 198 within the State are using the powers conferred by the Act in making various types of planning schemes. 18. In addition to the above municipalities which are acting individually, 42 more are embraced within the area now being planned by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, the Metropolitan Planning Authority, appointed by the Tmvn and Country Planning (Metropolitan Area) Act. 7 Hl. Municipal councils are becoming in<'reaRingly <'om:eious of the Yalue of the Act, the extensive powers contained in it and the manner in which tl!ey can be UHed t,o enlarge the functions of Local Government. As the number of planning schemes increases, the provisions included in them for meeting the very different eonditions obtaining in dissimilar areas, become more varied. 20. The following is a list of planning schemes in course of preparation or eomvleted as at 30th .June, 1951 fnlt·rilu lk\d•lpllit'Hi O:'d~-J .\ppro\ o•d. ------~------~------ '·A·· Col\umxcEu PRIOR To 30TH Jt::-:1,, 1~1:Ju. (Position as at 30th Jmw, 1\151.) CifieB. Ararat 6,500 H.6.47 22.7.!7 Preliminary ~ehPJHP ,!raftcd Ballamt 40,000 13.10.47 *Brunswiek 28.3 .4\J 30.4 .HI .-\pproYerl by Gon•rnor Ill Council *Chelsea 21.10.46 3.2AR *Coburg 3.10.'19 25 .10.4H c\ppron~d hy Go1·emor Ill Council *Fitzrov 3.5.48 31.10.50 Hamilt~n 7,500 12.9.46 15.10.46 12. H. :)(1 Draft ~chenw hPin *Sandringham (1) (part only) HL 7 A6 ' :-).3.47 2.J-.G.4-8 Approwd by Uon·rnor lll Council ;:\hepparton 10,000 B.8.48 !l. ll .48 Tmcn.<. Castlernaine (},000 21 .11.46 25.::1.47 Colac 7,000 2:L6.-l8 10.8.41-\ Portbwl .. ·l,OOO 20.H.lG }f) .10 .46 .T oint ConnnittPe conrt•mphtted Bormtghs. Benalla 5,500 23.5.49 215.2.50 Maryborough 6,500 1. 7.48 21.12..18 Swan Hill .. 5,000 7.3.50 4 .4.50 t Wang:aratta n,ooo :>o. 6. cl7 l5.llA!J .T oint Committee contemplated Shires. Ballarat (part only) 1,000 l. 7 . .J-8 21.12. 4-8 Draft Rchemc nearing completion Barr11.bool (Anglesf'a} 800 l7.8.Hl 25.10.41} H.5.51 Objections heing considered *Broadmeadows (part only} .. 28.10.18 23.11.·18 20.10.4!1 Buln Buln (Drouin and Loug- 1,500 I 21.11.4\J 28.2.50 warry) Colac (part only) .. 1,000 H.llA8 Corio (part only) .. 5,000 2t\. 8.46 17.9.4i) Included in Greater Geelong i-icheme Euroa (township only) 2,500 ll '9. 4-6 ' 12.11.46 }l'raukston and Hasbngs (part i 10,000 5.3.48 13.4.48 only) Grenville (part only) . . ! 500 2.8.47 2. 9.47 )lansfield (township only) 800 4-.5.49 26.7 All )loruington :~,000 8.7.4-9 11.10.49 :Morwell (1\lorweH. and Yimmr \),000 17.3.18 27.4.48 Objections determim•d and dn•Jt township~) ~ctiPnw amended XHrmcan (Moc -Newborough) 11,000 l:U\.46 t2.1LAH 12.1.4\) Draft Sclwmc being rcvis.·d .Numnrkah (town8hip only) .. ~,500 lJ .8.47 2.9.47 Draft I'Chf'lllt' prepart>1l Portland (Heywood) HOO 9.8.46 ' 27.8.46 Seymour (township only) 3,000; 9. 9.46 1.10.46 Swan Hill (Robinvale) 250 13.5.47 10.6.47 Traralgon (township only) H,OOO 5.9.46 1-!.1..17 In course of preparation Tungamah (Cobram) 1,000 5.8.-16 3.9.'16 1.6A9 Approved by Governor in Council \Varragul (township only) 5,000 13.5.'17 22.7.47 Draft scheme prepared Werribee (Altona) .. 4,000 17.10.46 25.3.47 16.9.49 Draft scheme being revised • ln Greater }lelbonrne Area. t ln .Joint Planning Area. 8 lntf';riru. J'xhibition Rrhemt. llr' elopmrnt JlPriod Ordrr •·;xpitf"d. ; A.ppri)VI'(I. ---~--~- ~ --.--...... _------~ ... - _____.. -~------.. ----·~·-·------...... --~- ! " A " CoMME::cEo PRIOR TO 30TH Ju::E, 1950--contin'i«'.d. (Position a~ at 30th .June, 1951)-continue.d. Joint Committee.~. Ge!>loug and Di~trict (emu- 1)0,000 U.fl.-16 17.l:!.Hi Draft Scheme being pr<·pared priHing right munieipal di.~- tricts) Wa.ngaratta and Diiltl'ict (com- 10,000 prising three municipal dis- tricts) Board IU' Respom;ible Authority. I~atrobe \'alley Suh-Hl'gion Awaiting approval uy Oovt,rnor in Council Eildon Snh-Regiou 500 30.11.19 21.2.50 . Awaiting comments of State Rivers and Water Supply Commission Gellioudale 500 19. 2. 51 1l'lelbourne fmd 1Uetropol-itan Board of lVor/,·s as Responsible Authority. Greater Melbourne (comprising 1,~f.O,OOO 11.1. 50 forty-two (42) municipal districts "B, COMMENCED SINCE )ST JULY, 1950. (Position as at 30th June, 1951.) Cities. I I *Ca.mherwell I 19.3.51 ! 15.5.51 *Heide\berg (I) (part only) i 27 .ll.50 : ~).1.51 *Sandringham (amending) 5.12.50 5.2.51 Awaiting approval of GovPrnor in Council Warrnambool 10000 i 26.9.50 i Joint Committee contemplated • I ! Borouglt. *Ringwood (part only) Sltire.~. Berwick (Pakenham) f100 , 21.8.50 19.12.50 ' Berwick (Berwick) 500 . 18.9.50 1\!.12.50 • Berwick (Princes Highway) 19.2.til ' 16.3.51 •"~·-··· ...... -- ..-- ...... ~--· .. -~-··-- ..·--- .. ~--.. ~-~ Population in Planning Areas outside Greater Melbourne 278,250 Population in Greater Melbourne Planning Area 1,250,000 1 ,528,2(')() Estimated population of Victoria 2,200,000 APPEALS AGAINST IN'fl<~RIM DEVELOPMENT ORDER DECISIONS. 21. During 1948 the Town anA Country Planning Act 1944 was amended in·several respects. By virtue of one amendment, provision was made for any person, who feels aggrieved by the refusal of the Responsible Authority to grant a permit pursuant to Section 12 of the Act or by conditions attached to any permit granted or by any direction given, to appeal to the Minister whose decision would be final and binding upon the Responsible Authority. 22. The only appeal lodged to date was that made by a ratepayer in the N umurkah Shire, the Council of which is engaged in the preparation of a planning scheme. The Council refused to grant a building permit for a house in an area which it contended should be reserved for industry. The matter was referred to you for determination, but the appellant withdrew his appeal and sold the land to an industrial undertaking. 9 LATROBE VALLEY SUB-REGIONAL PLANNING SCHEME. 23. This scheme, for an area of 334 square miles of that part of the Latrobe Valley which includes the huge brown coal deposits, was prepared in accordance with instructions issued to the Board on 8th July, 1949, and a report and plans were submitted to the Government on 28th October, 1949. 24. Following the general approval of the Government to this special report and its accompanying plans, the planning scheme map and ordinance were prepared for the purpose of public exhibition at the offices of each municipal council in the sub-region, the office of the Yallourn Town Advisory Council and at this Board's offiee to enable interested persons to lodge objections to the scheme in aceordance v•·ith the provisions of the Act. Details of the Board's recommendations were given in the previous Annual Report. 25. The exhibition period ended in May, 19:)0, and during the following eight months the Board examined the objections lodged by various departments and authorities as well a8 individuals concerned. In many caseH, further conferences were held with public bodies, as a result of whieh some amendments to the gcheme were made. 26. ThiR sub-regional planning scheme was handed to you for the approval of the Governor in Council on 26th Februarv last. The scheme as submitted resolves satisfactorilv practically all the objections submitted and provides a plan for the future development ~f the Latrobe Valley. It will effect a co-ordination of the activities of the many departments and public authorities concerned with the development of the resources of the sub-region. 27. The co-operation of individuals and public authorit,ies and their apparent desire to effect co-ordination by means of a planning scheme has been abundantly demonstrated and has been much appreciated by this Board. 28. It should be mentioned that " interim control " in the area was effective during the preparation of the scheme and remains until the approval of the scheme by the Governor in Council. While interim development control had the effect of preventing land speculations and uneconomic land usage in the sub-region, no appeals against its operation \vere received or claims lodged. 29. The approval of the scheme by the Governor in Council will absolve anv liability for the payment of compensation for zoning land for peescribed uses, and th·t., early approval of the scheme is therefore awaited. SPOILATION OF THE LATIWBI~ HTvl<;R. 30. When presenting its report on the Sub-Hegion, this Board made strong comment on t,he present gross pollution of the Latrobe River by industrial wastes and dust, and recommended that investigations he made iu the direction of mitigating these conditions. Since then, the Government has obtained an expert opinion on the problems associated with the disposal of domestic and industrial wastes in the Latrohe Valley. This report, of 30th April, 1951, by Messr·s H. G. Furphy and C. W. Candy, addressed to the State Rivers and \:Vater Supply Commission, though as yet confidential, has been made available to the Board for its perusal. 31. The Board has been very impressed with the findings recorded in this document, \vhich combines fully justified criticism of present conditions with clear and constructive proposals for their amelioration. The amenities o~ the Latrobe River are matters of the greatest importance for the health and well-being of the rapidly growing communities of the Sub-Region, which no plan for development can afford to ignore. For this reason the Board hopes that every possible action will he taken to give effect to the recommendations of the report, in order that the river may be returned to a condition of reasonable purity and that provision may he made in advance for the dispotml of the very noxious indust.ri~;l wnstPs likel_v to he encountered in the near future. MOE PI.. ANNINU HCHKMK ;)2. The Couneil of the Hhire of Narracan prepared and adopted a planninu scheme for the Towns of Moe and NewlJOrough in 1950. This plan provided a balancel scheme for a population of approximately 10,000 people. The present population of Moe and Newborough is in the vicinity of 9,000 people and this extraordinary growth can be attributed largely to the number of houses erected by the Housing Commission and the State Electricity Commission. ~)3. The State Electricity Commission housing scheme started on land within the Commission's gazetted works ~rea adjacent to N ewborough and then extpnded outside this area towards Moe. 10 34. This development l<·ft a large Mt•a of vacant la.wl lwtwet'll the State Electricitv Connnission housing :->r:ll<'nw and )foe which would 11orma lly h(• included in a planniHg scheme for town e;;_pansion. 35. The Housing Commission in turn desires areas mneh in excess of their original requirements and further extensions of the residential areas, to include these lands, have been necessitated. 36. Both the Housing Commission and the State Electricity Commission housing projects have paid due regard to features of the proposed planning scheme, and together with the co-operation of private developers, has been instJ'unwntal in many of the pmpo:-:;ali-1 of the original scheme becoming in faet established. :11. The Council has maintained dose eontad with thP Board and t1te revised planning is now well advanced, and when completed, will add one of the most important towns in the Latrobe Valley to the list of those whose development. is guidea by the provisions of a planning scheme. lVIOHWELL PLANNINCi SCHE:VIK 38. The Morwell Shire Council was one of the fin~t to use the powers of the Act to guide the development of the rapidly growing town of Monvdl in the Latrohe Valley. Since the town overlies coal, it will, therefore, be restricted in size. Nevertheless, it may contain an ultimate population of 80,000. , · 39. The planning scheme, although having passed through the exhibition :-;tage, has not yet been submitted for the approval of the Governor in Council. 40. Close co-operation has been maintained with the Board aml with the variom; Public Authorities concerned in this pivotal area, with the result. that a great deal has been implemented towards the final plan, long before its formal presentation. 41. Although some revision and extension, in the light of developments by public authorities subsequent t,o the scheme as exhibited, may be necessary, requisite step:-; t.owards obtaining approval to the planning scheme should not be unduly delayed. 42. The Council is also undertaking detailed schemes fur the townships of Yinnar and Herne's Oak, both of which a.re also located in the Latrohe Valley Sub-Region ami expected to develop considerably in the near future. THARALGON PLANNING SCHEl\lK 43. The Council of the Shire of Traralgon is now actively engaged in the preparation of l:l planning scheme for Traralgon under the provisions of the Act. 44. Although the housing activities of the Australian Paper Manufacturers Ltd. in the past few years have added very substantiaJly to the size of this town, the impending development of the brown coal resources in this locality will give added irnpetns to its growth. 45". The completion of a plan for this area will give the whole of the Latrobe Valley and its towns the protection and guidal.l.ce of planning schemes and the necessary insurance against uneconomic and premature specnlative development. YALLOURN NORTH PLANNING SCHE:J1E. 46. Y allourn N mih-the old brown coal mine township~-is one of the townships within the Latrobe Valley Sub-Regional Planning Scheme, and is excluded from the provisions of that Scheme following your instructions to the Board to prepare a detailed plan for this area. 47. The operations of the Rta,te meetricity Curumissiou in the open cut at Yallourn North and its extensive housing scheme in conjunction therewith, necessitated the resumption of a large area of land and the displacement of many buildings of inferior or " shack " construction. The tendency of some people to acquire shack buildings or materials and repeat this type of development outside the State Electricity Commission area called for some measurP of control. 48. Y onr action instructing this Board to prepare a scheme was with the concurrence of the State Electricity Commission and the Shires of Morwell and N arracan. 11 49. The Planning Sehem(~ is wt•ll n.€lva.nced, all inh~rested authorities have been consulted, and it is expeeted that the phLn and ordinance will be placed on exhibition at an early date. The Scheme has been co-ordinated with the Latrobe Valley Sub-Regional Planning Scheme at all points. 50. In the meantime, control is being maintained and development penuits issued in accordance with the planning proposals ; the municipalities and the State Electricity Commission are eo-operating with the Board in this respect. TYEHS PLANNING SCHE1IK 51. 'l'hu 'J'ownship of Tyt~I·s in tl1e Shire of Traralgon, ;tuother town in the Latrohf' Valley Snb-Hegional area, is also exeluded from the scheme and is being made the snbjt·et of a more detailed scheme following your instruetions to this Board on 80th October, H);)O. 52. 'l'his township is on the north side of the Latrohe River at the junction of the Walhalla and Traralgon roads and, under the Sub-Regional proposals, will later have improved road access to ::\Iorwell and Yinnar. 53. The Australian Paper l\Iannfacturers Ltd. has signified its intention to build a number of houses in this township for employees engaged in the forests further to the north, and the planning proposals aim at TH'oYiding for a population of approximately 1,000 people. 54. The Council of the Shire of Traralgon, which agreed that this Board prepare the scheme, has been consulted along with all other interested authorities and has signified its approval of the tentative proposals. 55. This scheme, which is nearing completiou, will also be open to public inspection in the near future. EILDON SUB-REGIONAL PLANNING SCHEME. 56. During the year, further progress was made towards the completion of a planning scheme for the Eildon Snb-Hegion. Copies of the draft scheme, prepared by the Board, were forwarded to the State Riven; and \Vater Supply C'ommission and the Alexandra Bhire Council so that these bodies could have the opportunity of studying the provisions and offering comrnents prior to the scheme being placed on exhibition. Close liaison has been maintained with the State Riwrs and \Vater Supply Commission which is eonstrncting tlw new Eildon township. In the meantime, interim development eontrol is being exercised and certain permits have been granted for development in accordance with the tenor of the draft scheme. Cl'l'Y OF NPNA \\'ADlNC: PLANNING SCHEMB. 57. This scheme relatet-: to an area of approximate}\· 160 acres of land in the Cit\' of Nnuawading which was subdivided m;my years ago in. a manner sueh as to render 1t nm;uitaHe and uneconomic for development. 58. Provision is made in the seheme for the opening of new streets, spaced to eomply with modern requirements. and the dosing of many unnecessary ones. 59. Areas are reserved for a school and other pnblie buildings, recreation, local shopping needs and light industry as well as for housing. 60. The seheme which was awaiting approval at the 30th .Tunc last year has since been approved, and the development of the area in a satisfactory manner is now proceeding. It is gratifying to the Board that this pieee of '·blighted " subdivided land has now been released for proper use. SHIRE OF 'l'UNUAMAH (COBRAlVI) PLANNING SCHK'\m. 61. The approval of the Oovernor in Council wa::; obtained during the yea,r to the ( 'ohrmn Planning Scheme prepared hy the Shire of Tuugamah. The seherne provide:-< for the definition of land uses, new roads, retTPatiou areas, &c., in the town. and is a practical scheme which regulates its growth in a manner consistent with the r~sources of the town. 62. As this is the first statutorv scheme for the whole of a country town area, since the passing of the Act in W44, th; plan is reproduced for the benefit of other country towns which have not yet availed themselves of the powers conferred by the Act. 63. It is noteworthy that during the period between the preparation of the draft town plan a.nd its final approval, many of the features of the plan had heen included as a part of normal " guided " development. 12 GELLIONDALE PLANNING SCHEME. 64. During Oetober, 1950, Parliament passed an Act to resume certain Crown land at Gelliondale over which a mineral right had been granted some years previously. 'L'he purpose of the resumption was to make available to the State ntlnable deposits of brown coal which could be exploited for t,he production of fuel and other valuable minerals and chemicals. 65. With a view to protecting the area from indiscriminate and speculatiw development, pending a determination of the manner in which the coal deposits are to be Pxploited, you instructed the Board to prepare a planning scheme for the area including the \Velshpool district. The concurrence pf the Councils of the Shires of Alberton and South Gippsland, in whose municipal districts the developmental area is located, had been obtained to the proposed regional planning scheme. 66. The Board visited Yarram during April and, following on a t~our of inspt>ction of the planning area, held a eonference with representatives of the two Councils. 67. At present, the Board is engaged in collating data as to the existing conditiom>, and in this respect is receiving the ready assistance of the Councils, the Central Planning Authority and the vVest Gippsland Regional Committee. When all this information has been gathered, together with adequate knowledge of the plans for the development of the area, the Board will then be in a position to proceed with the preparation of a detailf'd planning scheme. TALLANGATTA TO,VNSHIP REMOVAL. 68. During October, 1950, Parliament passed the Tallaugatta Township Hemoval Act (No. 5497). Its effect wa,s to empower the State Hivers and 'Vater Rupply Commisf'lion to acquire land for the site of a new town to which the present t~ownship of Tallangatt GEELONG AND DISrrRICT PLANNING SCHl~ME. 72. Considerable and very satisfactory progress continues to be made by the Geelong and District Town Planning Committee in t,he formulation of its draft planning scheme for approximately lOO square miles of territory situate in eight individual munieipal districts, namely those of the Cities of Geelong, Geelong vVest, and Newtown and ChilwelJ, and the Shires of Bannockbnm, Barrabool, Bellarine, Corio, and South Barwon. The existing conditions plan has long since been completed and many major planning proposals have been agreed upon, while a good deal of useful planning work ha;;; hePn ('Hrried out under Interim Development powers. 73. The Board had the opportunity of assessing the work done by the Committee when it visited Geelong early in the year to confer with and advise the Committee in the matter of the siting of abattoirs and cattle sale yards to serve the future Geelong, and the provision of a modern bus terminal in conjunction with railway facilities. The Board believes that the Committee is entitled to the highest commendation on the manner in which it is taekling its task and providing evidence to other councils throughout Victoria that groups of councils can \YOrk harmoniously together for their common benefit -without regard to the artificial boundaries that separate them. 13 VISITS BY BOAHD. 7 4. Durinrr the year the Board continued to maintain elo:->c liaison with council~:~ engaged in the p~eparation of planning schemes. ln addition to conferences in .Melbourne, Board members and offwers undertook ''isit.'l to the following centres > ~ Angh•sea, Ararat, Avoea, Hairnsdale, Bendigo, Camberwell, Dandenong, Eildon, Eltham, Frankston, Ueelong, Gelliondale. Kangaroo Flat, Kyneton, Lakes Entrance, }loe, :VIoorabbin, l\IorwelL Pakcnham, Sale, Trafalgar, Tmralgon, Tyers, Wangaratta, Wodonga, Yallourn North, and Yarram. BOROUGH OF BENALLA~SCHEME UNDER SEC'riON ;)94 OF LOCAL GOVERN:.\IENT ACT. 75. The Benalla Borough Council, in a scheme prepared under Section 5~14 of the Local Government Act and approved by the Gon~rnor in Council during the year, ha!': demonstrated how land in tlw ·' dead heart8" of large township blocks can be brought into economic u:se. 76. The scheme dealt with bn~IYe 10-chaiu square town hloeks which were developed on the existing street frontages leaving exeessin~ rear yards, extending in most eases 330 feet, back from the streets. 77. New streets are planned to give access to this unused land and sufficient surplus la,nd is included to enable 122 adtlitional building blocks to he subdivided. All of these blocks are within areas re TRAFFIC CONGESTION SOUTH OF JUVEH YAHRA.. 80. From time to time, since 1946, the Board haf' drawn HOUSING COMMISSION-ROAD LINI\ IN NORTHCOTE-PRESTON ESTATK 85. In its Second and Third Annual Heports the Board commented on the proposed ··Eastern Highway" through Northcote and Preston. Regret was expressed that no aetion was taken at the time to give effect to the Board's recommendations following on a series of conferences with interested authorities. The proposal included provision for an important north-;,;outh road to cater for traffic generated within the Northcotc-Prc;:;ton estate of the Hou;:;ing Commission. 'fhe Commission is now proceeding with the de,'elopment of the estate and has raised the question of the linking of Station-street, in the City of N ort.hcote, ~with Alhert-street, in the City of Preston. 86. At your request, the Board recently conferred with all interested parties, and reported on the proposal, outlying in detail the manner in which the cost of laml acquisition and house remoYals might be apportioned as between the 'Housing Commission, Country Roads Board and Northcote City Council. 87. The Board believes that the linking of Station and Albei-t streets will provide an important metropolitan road, whieh, failing fmther action to obtain the route previously recommended, might well be developed at a later stage as part of tl1c ''Eastern Highway.,. 88. The development of this route was among recommendations made by the Jletropolitan Town Planning Commission in 1929. LANIJ USJ~ ZOXING. 89. Zoning hy-la\YS under Section 197 ofthe l,ocal Gowrnment Act were again reported 011 by the Board at your request. These by-la\\Ts were subrnittcd by the Councils of the following municipalities Cities of :--Box Hill, CambcrwelL gssendon, Footseray, Hawthorn, Hcidelherg, .Yielbourne, }loorahbin, N orthcote, N unawading, Oaldeigh, Prahran, Preston, Richmond, St. Kilda, Sandringham, Sunshine, and 'Yilliamstown. Borough of :-Hingwood. Shires of :-Dandenong, Eltham, :\Iornington, M ulgrave, Traralgon, and W erribee. 90 . .Jinny of the by-laws effected zoning alteration:-; of a minor character, but some had a far-reaching effeet on the land use of the particular munieipal dii-itricts eoneemed. Again, it was noted that many councils merely prcHerilw limited areas for purely residential development and choose to name the remaining parts of the nmnicipal district either "business areas", ·'shopping area;:;", or .. industrial an·as .,, whereas, in fact, there is absolutely no power immediately available to the councils to regulate thwelopment of an indiscriminate and even undesirable elmracter. Hl. It has also been found that some eouncils seal plans of subdivisions of land into shop sites; even though the hmd i:-; iu a lH'CReribed r~:sidential area where commercial development iH prohibited. ln Home of these instmu;es, by-laws are submitted which set out to remove the land in question from the residential area merely because the plans ha.Ye been sealed and not because it is felt that further shop sites are required. 92. Such action has resulted in many thousand;,; of ::;hop sites being Ret aside that can never be economically put to the use intended. In some cases, home builders have bought up groupR of, say, three adjoining shop sites and combined them into residential blocks. However, many ;:;uch shop sites are destined never t,o he developed ns such, or, if in extreme cases they are, it will be to the detriment of the adjoining houses whieh have been erceted. Alt1~rnatin•ly, many Hnbdivisions, long- since sealed and tontaining shop sites, still contribute nothing to the district;; of which they once formed ntluablc agricultural trads. H3. During last year thNc was a eon;.;iclerahle increase ill the nuln her of instances where councils sought the adYice of the Board regarding projected zoning by-law;:;. 'l'here has also been much cYidenc:e of a growing desire by councils to take ndvnntage of the experiences of other municipalities and the Board is pleased to record that the year has been marked by many new zoning provisions that have been app1·ovetl. 94 . .Yloreover, mauy councils are utilizing the zoning provisions of the Town and Country Planning Aets as a preliminary to more detailed planning schemes. 95. The Board has encouraged eouncils to heeome familiar with the provisions of the Ad and the additional powers thereby available to them so that nn ever inereal:ling number of schemes might be prepared for the fnture guidance of our urban and rnral areas. 15 METROPOLITAN DIPROVEl\IEN'r FUND. 96. The appointment of the Melbourne and M('tropolitan Board of Worh to prepare a master plan for the development of Melbourne brings appreci<1bly nearer the time when consideration will have to be given to financing and carrying out major project.-; for improvement which will affeet a number of Illlmiei}Jalities and in some eases the whole metropolis. In aecordanee \Yith the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act, the implementation of the plan by the earrying out of works will be largely the responsibility of each municipa.lity in respect of work in its own district. l\lany matters will concern a number of councils and in i-lome eases, the whole metropolis. Such works may require dw assistance of some constructing authority apart from individual eouncils. Authorities such as the Country Hoads Board, Public Work.:; Department, and the Jielbourne and J:Ietropolitan Board of \\'urk:-; itself. could he made the authority for the carrying out of works in which they are expert, if any municipaJity eom;idered that nny part of a plan was beyond its resources of plant or personnel. 97. These joint works concerning a mnnber or eotmcil:-; with common, but not equal, interests, ga:ve rise to tlw recommendation of the Jletropolitan Town Planning Commission in 1H29 in iti-l final report that a eonstructing authority and a metropolitan fund should be e:-;tablished. 98. On a number of occasions the Board has drawn attention to the need for the establishment of such a fund, when recomme11ding that important metropolitan projects should be carried out. The need for Huch a fund was mentioned in its Third Annual Report in the recommendations concerning the Eat'tern Highway, and more recently in the report on the widening of Bridge-road, Hiclnnond. Such worh a:-; road widenings, heaeh protection, river improvcnH•nts as wt>ll as tlw numerous otlwr improvements which are the concern of more than one municipality, could bt> met or receive grants from this fund. 99. A number of urgent public works should be carried out without awaiting the completion and approval of the master plan, if further serious errors and consequent lm;se;-; are to be avoided. Such matters as the road change::; made necessary by the completion of the Swan-street hridge over the River Yarra, the widening of the narrow section of Bridge-road, Richmm1d, and the establishment of the J<~astern Highway through Nortlwote and Preston can he quoted as obvious examples. It is felt that there are nunH'rous metropolitan worh and undertaking:-; long overdue, about which there it~ littJc or no disagreement as to their neuessit,y, and which are certain of inclusion in any metropolitan planning scheme. 100. The recent estahliHhment of the Latrobe Valley Development Fund can be quoted as an example of the solution of a somewhat similar problem. Jlany different authorities, including Uovernment organization~:\ 101. If a ~letropolitan Fund WPre est.ablishcc1, n }Jl'iorit.'' ba.-ds for thP lL'>t' of dw fund:-; by the n•spedive lllllll icipal or public authoritie.o.;, Pach in their own ;,;p heres, c-onld he eifeetcd through the )Iinister of Public Works. Section 25 of the Town and Uountry Planning Act provides~ .. The Governor in Council may on the reconmtewlation of the Board apportion the cost of any work included in a planning 8eh~:me between the muuicipalitie:-; anJ public nuthoritiei-l benefiting from the scheme". 102. It \Vould be found that a levy of less than one penny in the pound on the net annual value (and its equivalent on the unimproved value) would yield the major requirement. 103. This levy would in turn relieve mmiicipalities of at least a corresponding cost in each area beeam;e of the works that would be transferred to the :Jietropolitan Improvement ]l,und as a common responsibility. This leYy of one penny in the pound would yield ttt least £114,000 per annum and other sum-; could be added by thP Government which could reasonably be expected to increase the total available annually to at least £200,000. 16 104. The suggestion that Government grants should be made to this fund can be JUstified because the metropolis makes many monetary contributions to State activities. The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works supplies water and sewerage services free of cost to all Government buildings and undertakings ineluding the railways thus saving a large sum of money annually to the State. Municipal rates are not paid on the many Government buildings in the metropolis with the exception that an equivalent sum to the rates is now paid on account of Government-owned residences. 105. The revenue derived from all the Grown Lands within the metropolitan area 11-\ taken into Consolidated Revenue. It is noted that these Crown Lands alone retnm annual rents considerably in excess of £100,000. 106. It might also be mentioned that the metropolitan area received no benefit from that portion of the petrol tax allotted to Victoria hy the Commonwealth Government nor any share of the motor registration and driver's licence fees. 107. The efficiency of the metropolis, particularly the main road system, concerns the State as a whole. On preseht day figure!o\ this proposed fund would enable the establishment and liquidation over twenty years at l per eent. per annum of about £2,700,000 worth of metropolitan improvements. It is suggested that such a fund should be established during the preparation of a plan for )lelbourne so that when the plan is completed some work could proceed without delay. BASE MAPS FOR PLANNING SCHEMES. 108. A considerable amount of the work involved in the preparat,ion of planning schemes is incurred in the compilation of the mapR on which is shown the existing development in areas to be planned, and the planning scheme proposals. 109. It has been found that few municipalities have had 1wailable, prior to the preparation of a planning scheme, maps of a suitable scale showing the requisite information as to topography, road, and street layout, property houndaries, natural features, &c. llO. When this Board was instructed to prepare detailed planning schemes for Yallourn North and Tyers, it was found that no suitable maps of the areas were available. The State Aerial Survey Branch of the Department, of Lands and Survey was contacted and, as a result, exeellent maps were obtained of these areas shmYing contours and all neeessn.ry features required for the planning :-wlw111es being pr<:>pnred. The cost of the maps and time required to produce them was hut n fnwtion of that which would have been entailed hy ground surveys and plotting. lll. This branch of the Lands Department has already many maps and much information in its possession, and municipalities contemplating planning schemes, are adviRed to ascertain from the Department what is available for their particular areas. 112. The special precision equipment, now in the possession of the Department enables it to prepare aecuratc large scale plans from the photographs produced. and contours at as small as :3-feet interYals can be sho"'n. 113. The Board considen; that an extension of the Department's activity in the mapping field would materially help to overcome the disability now encountered by all who are preparing plans and developmental projects which require accurate base maps on which to illustrate their proposals. 114. The co-operation of the Lands Department in making available maps, and also photographs for the stereo!o\copie examination of particular areas, is much appreciated by the Board. COST OF PREPARING PLANNING SCHK\lES. 115. ~While the cost of preparing those planning sehemes which have been undertaken by municipalities has not been large, some municipalities appear to be reluctant to add the c~st of preparing schemes to their already heavy financial commitments. 116. Under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act the oost of implementing approved planning schemes can be provided from loan funds in the same way as oth~r permanent works and undertakings under the Local Government Act. An amendment of the Local Government Act in 1949 empowered the Governor in Council to declare additional matters as permanent works and undertakings, and by an Order 17 published in the Govetnment Gazette No. ;-l·1f'i on l:Zth July, 1950-'' 'J'he preparation of a rimming i:>clwm(' pnr~nnnt to Hw Tmn1 and Country Planning Act~., "·a:-: so dr>clnn·d. This means that the cost of preparing planning schemes ean he defrayed out of loan funds and spread over a term of years, instead of being a charge against the rcnnuc of nny particular year. lJ 7. A large proportion of the work and cost in the preparation of a planning scheme is involved in coJiecting and collating data and the provision of suitable base plans on which to show the planning proposals. As the municipal office is the source of most of t~his information, and as it has to be made available to anyone engaged in the preparation of the scheme, it has been found by some council8 that the planning scheme base map.;; and existing conditions survey can be expeditiously and economically compiled by their officers. 118. The regulations and instructions issued by this Board provide a guide a::; to the information required for planning schemes and any further particulars desired by councils will be gladly supplied. 119. In view of the foregoing remarks, the relatively small co:::;t of the preparation of a practical planning scheme should not deter councils from commencing schemes for their municipalities. It is regretted, however. that the Government has no allotted fund \Vhich would enable some assistance to be granted to eouneil8 towards the cost of this necessary work, and thereby encourage further progrel'li'l in plmmiug. 120. The Government has very materially furthered the ohjects of town tmd country planning hy giving assistance to the Latrohe Valley towns engaged in the preparation of schemes, and also by directing this Board to prepare the Sub-Regional Planning Scheme for the area and the detailed schemes for the Towns of Yallourn North and Tyer:::;. lt is recognized that the Latrohe Valley proYided speeial circmnstnnces wllich require<] immediate aetion to protect and preserve the extensivr and valuable hrown coal depm;itl', and guard against speculative ventures in the land lying over the eoal. 121. lt is suggested that other Yalnable areas throughout the State are in similar need of protection, especially the ''aluable food-produeing agri<·n1tnral areas, not only in and around )lelhourne, but througl1out the Rt<1te, thousand~ of anc;.; of which are going out of production eaeh year mostly aJ the "·him of tlw specuh1t.iw subdi,-idf'r. 122. It i~ of interest to recall that in '1\tsmania the 'l'own Planning Commissioner prepares many sehemes on behalf of, and at the request of munieipal councils. rl'his is due partly tn the lack of finance on the part of the councils and the general sea reity of trained technical staff. ln New Zealand, too, the Town Planning Board prepares planning sehemes for many of the smaller local goYerument authoritie~, whilst in England, greatly inereased exehequer grants are being made to eouncils to enable them to di:::;ehargc their functions. 123. The Board noted with particular interest the passing of the .Ylunicipalities and Other Authorities Finances Act during the 1950 Parliamentary Session, whereby a :::;peeial fund was created to as:-;ist country municipalities and it is hopc•d that, initially. this fund might be a source from which some assistance might he given since it j,_ unlikely that many schemes would be eommeneed in any one finaneial year or the eost large. As a protection to ensure proper nse of any snch moneyt:~, all grants eould be subject to recommendation by this Board. 124. Any endeavour to encourage the development of country town::> and the decentralization of industry ::;hould, in the Board's opinion, he preceded by planning se he me;,; whieh would eo-relate thP various activities of each town and distriet. CO-OPERATION OF GOVEHN1\H~NT DJ~PAH:fMENTS AND PUBLIC AUTHORI'L'IER. 125. rrhe Board desires to record with appreciation the eo-operation dmt ha::; bren 127. Amending Regulations which have been drafted require the responsible authority to notify those public bodieR operating in the area when a planning scheme has been commenced. 128. It is considered that thi:-; procedure will enable an examination of their project;; by public bodies in relation t,o planning matters during the actual preparation of schernes, encourage an even greater degree of co-operation and reduce objections to a final scheme. 129. The Sub-Regional Planning Scheme for the Latrobe Valley is an example of the protection that can be afforded to other inRtrumentalities in matters whieh may be outside the scope of their own Act. ln this instance, this Board recein~d the utmost eo-operation from such authorities as the State E:lectricity Commission, Country Roads Board, Victorian Railways, State RiYers and Water Supply Commission, Education Department, and Forests Commission. 130. The Tallangatta Township Removal Act enables many of the provisions of the Tovm and Country Planning Act to be administered by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission in relation to this >York 131. The Housing Commission has eonfened with this Board wit.h the object of allowing their procedure to include, in certain circumstances, the use of the existing planning legislation. As already mentioned, the Government, through this Board, ii:l supplementing the powers of other bodies in having prepared planning schemes for Eildon and Gelliondale. 132. \Vhile the regulations drafted under the Town and Country Planning Act make it obligatory to notify other public bodies of the preparation of schemes, a reciprocal obligation, voluntarily assumed by such other bodies, which would result in information regarding proposed projects being supplied during scheme preparation stages, should result in mutual benefit. 133. It is of interest to note that in other States and overseas countries. the legislation makes it mandatory for governmental authorities to co-operate with plal1ning atithoritics. 134. It haH already been a1nply clPmonstrated tJmt councils, hy agreement with other at1thoritici'i, are prepared to use the wide po\Yers of Interim Development Orders to prott>et projects outside their own innncdiate oblig:ations. This procedure helps to oYPn:ome the necessity for keeping, as eonfidential, thotw propmmls which formerly may ha\~e required udditional protecting lcgi.-;lntiou a~ul any reluctance to release them for ineorporation in a planning suheme. In this respect, the Couneil of the Shire of NmuUTkah made an Interim Devdopment Order at the rm1ue;.;t of the Country Roads Board with l,AND THANSACTIONS BY PUBLIC AFl'HOlUTIES. 1:36. Planning schemes made under the To·wn and Country Planning Act enable land to he zoned i:>O that premature uneeonomic and wrongful development can be arrested. Such control is exen·ised without the liability to pay eompensation insofar as it relates to the preserihed use of land under the provisions of an approved scheme. 137 .. It :Yould ~ppear that.public authorities and Governm~nt Departments generally are heeonnng mcreasmgly consc1ous of the powers and protectwu afforded hv planninO' sehemes, in conjunction with the more specific tasks entrusted to them. " Hithert;, ins~run~cntalitie::; were not fully a:vare of the ?enefits confen~d by the ~1se ?f planni~g legislatiOn, and the fact that plannmg schemes, m accordance With t,hat legislatiOn, permits in some cases considerable savings. 138. One important aspect of protection given by land use zoning is that it enables t.l1e acquisition of land to be deferred until the land is actually required for the various purposes of their operations. Without t.he protection given by the intelligent and proper use of the powers under the Act, pubhc funds may be consumed unnecessarily in the 19 acquisition of large areas of land for forward planning purposes. It is suggested that funds or loan money, \vhieh might. be expended on the purchase of these lands so far in advance of probable requirements, might he used more economically in the furtherance or the tasks in hand. 13H. Before the .Latrobe Valley Planning ~eheme <·am<' into operation, the State Electricity Commission found it necessary to purchase no less than 15.000 acre8 of land for its undertakings, of which only a relative]~· small proportion was required for tlw actual projects and ancillary work::;. 140. l\Iuch of the area of the LatrolH~ Vallev i::; llOW zoned ns u;.:ri(~nltural m· forest lands, a distinction l>Ping made bdween agricultn,ral land8 o\·er winuahlP coal ami otlwr land not. over coaL 8mue ;]4.000 aerc:-; ot' land on·rlie winnnbk eoal nnd its future 1!:-i(' is SO regulated under the planning sclwme that :1 c·ontinning policy of '· ptm·]J:UlC' Lo prot.ect, " is no longer necessary. Acquisition of land <'an then•fore 1w mude EDUCATION OF TOWN AND COPNTHY PL.\SNJ~HH. 142. Tbe course in town and regional planning being conducted at the University of :\[elhoume has 11ow heen grant<'d Diploma status and eontinw':-> to attrad graduates in engineering, architecture. and surveyiug, and othNs po.ssessing reftttisite qnalifieations and experience. 143. :Mr. N. AbercromlJic, }l.A. (Arch.), hns been appointed Director of the course and is developing a syllabus modelled on the course conducted hy the Town Planning [nstitnte of England. Whilst no diplomas have yet been granted, it is hoped that a final examination for students, who have completed the requisite two years of the eourile, will he held during the latter portion of 1951. 144. The Board took the opportunity to confer wit.h Mr. Aher(·rombie and Mr. A. ,J. Love, Senior Lecturer in Surveying at the Melbourne TechnieaJ College, on the matter of town planning education generally, and urged the inclusion in the •syllabus of subjects which would give students a sound basic introduction to town and country planning. CUMBERLAND COUNTY CO"CNCIL PLANNING SCHEl\H~. 145. It ;vas with considerable interest that the Board learned of the passage, through the New South Wales Parliament, of an Act to approve the planning scheme prepared hy the Cumberland County Council for an area of 1,500 square miles, reaching from the coast to the foot of the Blue Mountains in the west and from the Hawkesbunr River in the north to Bulli Pass in the south, in which 1 ,500,000 people live. " 146. An interesting feature connected with the implementation of the planniw)' scheme is the agreement of the New South Wales Govermnent to match £ for £ th~ expenditure of the constituent councils on agreed ·works to a value of more than £5,000,000. 147. The County Council has been authorized to leYy a rate, differential in the case of rural areas, based on the unimproved capital value of land \Yithin the Countv in order that it 111ight raise a fund from which repayments of loan principal ancl intet·est mig-ht be met. 148. The passing of the Act to validate the scheme constituteil a milestone in the history of town and country planni.ng in Australia. Tt ensures that no new development can take place contrary to the approved plan and it defines certain land uses and many other basic features of planning. · 149. It now remains for individual constituent councils to complete certain detailed planning within the framework of the County plan, failing whieb the County Council itself may undertake the work at the direetion of the :Vlinister. 20 NATIONAL PARKS. 150. The statement contained in the State DcYelopment Committee Heport on Tourist Facilities and National Parks, ·'that Victoria has never given the matter of Parks and Monuments adequate or proper attention ., is fully endorRed by thiH Board. It is a matter of general concern that a State po:'!sessing such an abundance of natnral scenic areas has done so little to preserve for posterity a snffieient number of geographically loeated national reserves. Manv suitable areas all oYer the State have beeu alienated and no a uthorit~· has been set ~1p with specific responsibility in this regard. 151. All foreshot'('S, the hanb; of all rivers and important streams, and a great man.r places of w1tund beauty, especially in the mountain~-! or hilly country, Rhould he pcrrnanently reserved for ('Ommunity purposes. 152. Fortunately there is a great deal to our credit in the maUer of places of historical interest, thanks largely to the efforts of individuals and the sympathy of past administrations. 153. ~o far as the :\Ielbourne l\letro:politan .Area is concerned, the Board recalls that an exhau:-;tiYe study of the matter, and many recommendations, were made in the 192H Report of the :\letmpolitan Town Planning Commission, and large area:-; close to l\Ielbonrne were suggested as permanent reserves. It is felt U1at further comment on the metropolita,n needs of foreshore and park reserves Hhould await the recommendations of the nwtropolitau planning authority. 154. \Yhile it ii-i realized that extensiYe areas of scenic Crown Lands and Forest Reserve:; are being retained in various parts of the State, no permanent re;,;erves for Xational Pa.rks have been made in areas ,dong the Great Dividing Range, the Urampian;,; m Otways. lnsnfiieient areas nre set asidt~ on the :\Iomiugt.on Peninsula, Phillip Island, the St.rzelecki ttn(l Daylesford di.;.;tTiet, and suitable reservations in tl1ese loe;tlities des<-'I'Ve the inunediat<~ attention of HOlllt' authority. The Dandenong Ranges, in view of their proximity and value to the 1 166. Although t~he provision of large areas for National Parks is considered essential, special circumstances often make relatively small areas most effective, and the area provided and set aside by the Postmaster-General's Department at Sydenham as an orchid and wildftower sanctuary is a noteworthy example. 157. In 1949, the British Parliament passed a National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. This enabled the local eouncils to administer the parks under the supervision of a National Parks Commission and provision was made for joint administration where several councils were concerned. Grants in aid from Government sources are available for certain specified works of improvement, such as tree preservation, camping sites, &c. There is also provision for the Nature Conservancy, a body set up by Royal Charter, to undertake the advancement of scientific study and research in the national nature reserves. 158. The Report of tJ1e State Development Committee emphasises the need for a fllrtbet· consideration of the recommendation for a National Park Commission as cont-ained in the excellent publi(:ation on National Parks issu<:>d by the Town and Country Planning Association in 1949. SELECTION OF PLACE NAMES. 159. Attention has been drawn by Mr. Kemsley, a member of the Board, to the confusion and inconvenience that is caused by the similarity and repetition of place names. 160. Although this matter does not affect the planning functions of this Board, it is recognized that some action should be taken t~o prevent an extension of thiH practice and to correct the worst existing examples. 21 161. Mr. Kemsley's comments are as follows:- The time has arrived when some systematic method should be adopted in naming of towns, residential areas and geographical features. Adual duplications sucl1 as Newtown (Geelong) and Newtown are fortunately rare. A more frequent and no less deplorable feature is the near-duplication of mtmeH which are phonetically similar or easily confused. Some examples of thi:-l, alJ of which are recogni.zed place-names, are listed below, but they apply only wit!hin Victoria. ff considered in relation to Australia, the problem beeomeR infinitel:· worse- Kerang, Terang, and Gerang. Corryong, Uarrajung, and Corriejong. Dooen and Dean. Kanyapella and KinypaniaL Licola and Picola. Carrum, Yallum, Y arrnm, Charam, Hallam, and Nallmn. Milawa, :VIillewa, and Illowa. Toolem and Toolleen. It is obvious that careles8 speaking, wntmg, reading, or sorting of mail, parcels, goods, &c., eau easily confuse such closely similar names, and is likel.'· to <'ause delays, losses, and general ineffi.ciency in many aspects of coinmunication:->. A further avoidable source of confusion is the unfortunate tendency to name a new settlement from its nearest centre by the addition of " North ", "South'', &c., to an existing place-name, rather than make the small effort of imagination required in finding a new name. In its planning of the Latrobe Vallt>y Sub-Hegion, the Board has encountered several cm;es of thi.-; natur<'. Tht· Old Brm~m C:oal }line towm;hi]) has become knovm aR Yallourn ~orth, despite the fact that it is across the Latrobe River from Yallourn and mile:-; away by road. Similarly, a small settlement miles south of Traralgon on n site which has been set aside for a future township is known tts 'l'raralgon South, a really nnsatisfaetory narne. The town of Traralgon is well on the way to eit;· :-~ta.tus, and inevitably the southern portion of the present town will become South Traralgon. It needs little foresight to visualize the eonfusion which may thus be caused. In this latter class of anonmlies, a notable example is that of Salisbury \Vest, north of Bridgewater, which is not at all west of Salisbury. on the Overland Railway near NhilL While realizing that local patriotism, however misplaced, is a strong factor in the retention of unsuitable names, and that in many cases the locality is too unimportant to cause much trouble, the Board foresees considerable future difficulty if such names are allowed to persist while their localities grow in size and importance. There are sound reasons for reviewing and where necessary changing t.he existing nomenclature of places, in cases where close similarity ~s likely to can8e confusion. In this regard it may be noted that South Australia has already taken action to deal with this matter by legislation, the Government Town Planner being associated in its aclminist,ration . .Moreover, there is room for considerable improvement in the quality of names from the point of rational spelling, etymology, and ordinary good taste. Instance.s which come to mind are barbarisms such as "Thomsonville " (why not plain Thomson, on the analogy of Hamilt,on), or the unfortunate replacemmit of STAFF AND ACCOMMODATION. 162. The office of the Board is now situated in the State Oflices Annexe, 107 Hnssell-street, and the s-pace made available enables the work to be carried on under very much improved conditions and in marked contrast to those possible in the limited space ayailable in the original offices. 163. As at 30th June, 1951, the staff of the Board, including its Technical Officer and Seeretary, comprises only eight persons. Although this staff is ·numerically small, it is very efficient and responsible for assisting and advising responsible authorities on planning problems, as well as the preparation of planning seheme8 :"mch as the Latrohe Valley, Eildon, Gelliondale Sub-Regions, and the towns of Yallourn North and 'ryt>rs as dirt'cted by the l\'Iinister. 164. The quality of the work performed and the energy and enthusiasm displayed hy all members of the ::;taff during the year is recorded with satisfaction and appreciation hy thP Board. Yours faithfully, F. C. COOK, Chairman. A. N. KEl\ISLEY, Member. A. t'. C'OLLINS, Member. H. P. GEORGE, Technical Officer. .J. D. l\ticNAMARA, Recretary. State Oflices Annexe, 107 Russcll-street, :VIelbonrne. By Authority: J. J. <3ou: TOWNSHIP OF COBRAM PLANNING SCHEME 1949 SHIRE OF TUNGAMAH LP~ 1000 ANORTH ~--~~~w-'i SCALE OF FEET SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC u PURPOSE RESERVES REFERENCE RAILWAY RESERVE 0) CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL @ AGRICULTURAL ZONE WATER SUPPLY RESERVE @ RESIDENTIAL ZONE PUBLIC HOSPITAL @ COMMERCIAL ZONE CHURCH @ INDUSTRIAL ZONE CHURCH AND SCHOOL @ EXISTING PRIVATE OPEN SPACE LAW COURTS 0 EXISTING PUBLIC OPEN SPACE STATE PRIMARY SCHOOL @ PROPOSED PUBLIC OPEN SPACE POST OFFICE @ FIRE STATION @ EXISTING MAIN TRAFFIC ROUTE POLICE. STATION ® EXISTING SECONDARY ROAD PUBLIC HALL @ MINOR ROAD BABY HEALTH CENTRE @ ROAD TO BE CLOSED SEE PAGE NEW ROAD OR ROAD WIDENING PUBLIC PURPOSES TowN AND CouNTRY PLANNING BoARD OF VICTORIA MuNICIPALITIEs IN WHICH A PLANNING ScHEME HAS BEEN CoMMENCED AT 30TH JuNE 1951 M l LDU~A SCALE OF MILES AREA OF PLANNING SHOWN THUS WALPEUP • DANDtNONO MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN AREA AREA BE.~NG PLANNtD BY M. M 8.W AS RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY UNDER THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (ME-:-ROPOUTAN AREA) ACT 1';}49 PLA':'JNING ALSO BY MUNICIPALITIES A5 SHOWN" 5C:AL£ Of' CHAINS·~ REFERENCE S>!!I\H!~ ~~·&'":c;:""""~<.L····~·"'"'."""'l • 4' 42 43 44 45 46 4 7 4B 49 ,,50 s ..... ~~ 3o ., •31 "54 • 3'1 53 56 • 34 51" •15 , 59. 36 u 60 jlf fiA~AO''·~''""