AMALGAMATION DATE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27073, 23 June 1953, Page 3

AMALGAMATION DATE

OCTOBER 31 NEXT SUGGESTED

PETITION TO CITY COUNCIL

October 31, 1953, was suggested as the latest date for the amalgamation with the city of Christchurch of areas at present in the Waimairi County in a petition from P. J. Thomson and others received by the City Council last evening. The Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, MJP.) said that an effort would be made to hold a meeting next week with the Heathcote and Waimairi- County Councils. “The sponsors of the petition are concerned that no date has yet been decided upon for the incorporation of the area covered by the above petition in the City of Christchurch,” said, a letter from the petitioners. “As far as we are aware no objections have been made to the provisional scheme decided by the Local Government Commission. It is now important that the incorporation of the area referred to above and other areas affected by the Local Government Commission’s provisional scheme should be transferred from the county to the city at the earliest possible date. “This date 'we suggest should be October 1, 1953—n0t later. In support of this date we submit that: “(1) Areas which, under the provisional scheme to be transferred from Waimairi County to Christchurch City, may be prejudiced if transfer is delayed, in that riding expenditure may be diverted to that part of a riding not to be transferred, particularly expenditure on new works. Building Permit Problem “(2) Building permits may be granted by the Waimairi Council that do not conform to the Christchurch City by-laws and the metropolitan town planning scheme; any permits which are granted in the interim should, we submit, conform to Christchurch City requirements. “(3) Delay in transfer from county to city means delay in the planning and carrying out of new works by the city. “(4) Local body elections are in November, 1953. Should the transfer be made as at October 1, 1953, this would be as near as is practicable to election date. Should the transfer date be later than October 1, 1953, then the position may arise that electors in the areas to be affected by transfer will vote for Waimairi County candidates, who will only represent them for a short period and will of course have had no opportunity to vote for a Christchurch city councillor.

“(5) That any administrative difficulties the Waimairi County may have in effecting a transfer as at October 1, 1953, can readily be overcome.”