UNIVERSITY AT RICCARTON

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26383, 30 March 1951, Page 8

UNIVERSITY AT RICCARTON

MINISTER REPLIES TO COUNCIL NEED TO AWAIT OVER-ALL PLAN The first discussion in open meeting for a long time on plans for transferring Canterbury University College to the site at Riccarton was held by the college council on Wednsgffay after--9? 01 ?-. “ arose from a letter from the Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie), who had been asked to hasten developments. “I may say that I am fully aware of the need for the development of the Riccarton site as soon as possible,” the Minister said. He then recalled the conference of September 20, 1950 when a programme of preparations for an 4 over-all plan was agreed on. ‘Until this plan is prepared and approved by the Cabinet, I do not think that anything can be done to hasten toe erect’on of the first building,” Mr Algie continued. “I certainly could not ask the Cabinet to sanction the preparations for such a building until the members of the Cabinet had had an opportunity of perusing the over-all plan.

"Pie new college at Riccarton will involve a very large expenditure of public money and I feel that it is most important that the development should take place in accordance with the programme agreed on at the conference last September.” The assistant Government architect for the site and another officer had Christchurch this month and had talks with the Professorial Board to®. -Riccarton Siting Committee, and individual members of the staff, said the Rector (Dr. H. R. Hulme). They had been given some information on requirements. Dr. Hulme said he was now forming a committee of staff members interested, to work out details of requirements. The committee would meet in the evenings and attack certain questions as individuals. Committee discussions at this stage could not achieve .“This can’t be rushed,” said Dr. Hulme. “The main difficulty is getting time to sit down and think about it”

Studies of the birth-rate, size of classes, number of lecture rooms, etc., were contemplated. The college would begin to feel the impact of the increased birth-rate (now troubling schools) about 1956. “That is the deadline when we want to get the engineers out to Riccarton,” Dr. Hulme said General assessments of requirements had also been made—Bo,ooo square feet for the arts faculty, and 120,000 square feet for science, for instance. These had to be reviewed in detail. Mr J. Wyn Irwin said .he Government seemed to want in advance a lot of detail that could and would be worked out as the scheme progressed There was nothing disturbing in the Minister’s letter, said Mr C. W. Hamann. It merely pointed to the agreement to secure an over-all plan bv June;

The council could inquire if the architect required any information to enable him to complete his report by June, said Mr C. H. Perkins. The discussion then lapsed.