STATE HOUSES-IN CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26855, 7 October 1952, Page 8

STATE HOUSES-IN CHRISTCHURCH

130 REPORTED TO" BE UNOCCUPIED CONNEXIONS TO POWER AND WATER AWAITED Reports that there were many new State houses around Christchurch that could not be occupied because they had not been connected to sewerage and high pressure water systems and electricity, were made at a meeting of the executive of the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association last evening.

This question has been discussed by the executive in the past, after it had been reported that there were unoccupied State houses around Christchurch because they had not been connected to a sewerage system. It was suggested that a temporary form of sewerage could be used. The secretary (Mr L. A. McKenzie) said that he had sought information from the association’s Dominion executive committee as to whether such a course could be followed, but until that day no information had come to hand. He read a telegram from the committee which said that the question was under, consideration by a sub-committee. Inquiries had been made from the Ministry of Works and it was ascertained that when a house was completed and neither high pressure water nor sewerage was connected to it, alternative systems could be put in provided they had the approval of the local drainage board. Mr G. D. Hattaway said 130 State houses had been lying idle for some months because they required a few minor adjustments. The association had been trying to get information from Wellington bn the reasons why the houses had not been occupied, for the last three months. Mr G. D. McMillan said he had asked a man to make a survey of a block of State houses in Shirley with a view to seeing how many were completed and occupied. Unfortunately the person surveyed the wrong block, but nevertheless he reported that there were 20 houses in the block surveyed which only required wiring from the houses to the poles. The rest of the’ buildings were complete. “There is something in this,” he said. “Someone is shuffling. Now we find another shuffle in that the wiremeh only have to put wires from the poles to the houses to make them habitable. This is not a mare’s nest.” There were other blocks of State houses in Christchurch that included finished houses that were not occupied. Mr D. Barrett said water and sewerage had been put into a block oi houses he had spoken about the previous month. He thought this had been done because of the protest raised at the last meeting. Mr R. J. Cornwall asked if the association could not frame a motion that the association viewed with alarm the position regarding the completion of State houses in Christchurch.

It was decided to pass the latest information on to the Dominion executive committee.