wing Pains

[?]strial Land: Suva's wing Pains

Fiji’s population grows, so grows the capital city of Suva; Suva, as the chief industrial distribution centre, is demand nore and better services, tong other things, Suva wants land for new industries, light heavy. More industries, of

se, mean less need to buy es ial goods overseas, ficialdom orginally planned the Walu Bay reclamation —westwards of the docks, h are at the city’s southwestern er should be the industrial it the Walu Bay industrial area has almost reached saturation t, so it has become a case of ing elsewhere. ie Hume Pipe Co., which plans et up a spun concrete pipe ufacturing plant, started a new rolling when it sought per ion to have 4I acres of flat at Vatuwaqa (to the eastwards, t 4 miles from the heart of city) zoned for industry, ie Suva City Council, all in nr, and to support the Gov lent’s policy of attracting in *y from overseas, agreed; but led to go a stage further, ving there was little suitable left in Walu Bay area, it de -1 to re-zone, not 4 h acres, but t 57 acres, which would have

taken care of foreseeable demands for the next 25 years.

But there was a fly in that oint ment—or, rather, three flies—in the shape of Cable and Wireless, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the Posts and Telegraphs De partment, all of which have radio establishments out that way. They claimed that industry at Vatuwaqa would interfere with their trans missions.

Eight or 10 years ago these or ganisations set up installations worth about £70,000; so, if they were to be shifted to make way for industry, someone would face heavy compensation claims. The

Director of Lands, Mr. D. T. Lloyd, at a conservative estimate, put this down at about £lOO,OOO.

So the fine Vatuwaqa plan went by the board. The Hume Pipe Co., unable to wait any longer, decided to set up on a site at Lami (outside the city limits, to the westwards, beyond Walu Bay).

The City Council really tried to avoid “spot” zoning industry dotted here and there throughout the city—but its efforts have come to nought. There does not seem to be any suitable flat land anywhere inside its boundaries, unless a pos sible 10 or 12 acres reclamation at Walu Bay.

Suggestions have been made that Nausori (over 12 miles away) or some of the flat land out between Suva and Nausori, could be de veloped. The drawback there is the distance from the wharves, and lack of suitable roads to carry heavy transport.

It seems that the Government and the City Council will have to work in close collaboration to find a suitable area, otherwise it will bo a case of “spot” zoning in the future. And in a well-ordered city that should not be allowed.

Desire Katevinica and his new Rex Theatre in Noumea, New Caledonia, which replaces an old one of the same name destroyed by fire in 1956.

Emphasis has been placed on making the building as fire-proof as possible; and in giving the theatre the most up-to-date appointments and projection equipment.

Katevinica, who served with the Free French Forces during the war, first went into the theatre business with three open-air picture shows made from war-surplus material.