REBUILDING STAND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 270, 27 August 1946, Page 2

REBUILDING STAND

OBLIGATION ON GOVERNMENT CATERING FOR RACING PUBLIC That the Government was under an obligation to rebuild the grandstand at the racecourse (which was destroyed by fire while occupied by the Army) was a contention by Mr H. F. Nicoli, president of the Ashburton Trotting Club, addressing the annual meeting yesterday. In this connection, Mr Nicoli said: “The loss of our grandstand by fire, whilst in occupation by the military forces in 1943, continues to give our club much concern. We have our architect’s plan and specifications finalised and agreed upon, and we also have the funds in hand, in conjunction with the Racing Club, with which to proceed with the rebuilding of the stand, and other improvements we have decided upon, but up to the present time we have been unable to obtain a permit fropi the Building Controller to proceed with the work. “This is understandable up to a point; we agree that housebuilding must have priority, but maintain that, aa the Government accepted responsibility for the fire, which occurred whilst the grandstand was in actual occupation by the Army, that should carry the obligation to rebuild. “Moreover, to-day, by Government legislation, Saturday is a whole holiday, the Racing Club race on four Saturdays, we race on three Saturdays; surely the people who look to spend those days on the racecourse are entitled to the accommodation and comforts with which we are anxious to supply them? It is not a fact that all builders and carpenters are being employed to-day in building houses, and I claim that we could have our grandstand rebuilt without in any manner affecting the number of houses building, or to be built, in Ashburton at the present time.

Growing Need Noted

“There is, however, one good aspect due to our being unable to obtain a rebuilding permit, and that is that our building funds are steadily accumulating. and the two clubs have sufficient to pay for the rebuilding scheme agreed upon without borrowing. The question now arises as to whether we should'not make further plans, because of • the ever-increasing attendance at the meetings of both the clubs, so that it may be that the architect’s. plans already agreed upon should be redrawn, in order to provide even more accommodation than appeared to be necessary earlier. “The reserve that our club has been able to build up is partly due to the saving of expense in many heavy items, such as upkeep of buildings, wages and insurance-which during the period would have amounted to a very considerable sum. It is the people, and our members, who have suffered from the lack of many conveniences, and we are - under an obligatioh to them to rectify the position at the earliest possible moment.” The suggestion for amending the building plans was warmly commend ed by Mr A. A. McDonald, who pointed out that the club depended for success largely on visiting patrons. Everything possible to make conditions better for them, as well as for district supporters, should be done and members, in his opinion, should give Mr Nicoll’s suggestion every consideration. ...