FIGURES FOR BUILDING

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27832, 3 December 1955, Page 5

FIGURES FOR BUILDING

CHAMBER SEEKS HELP OF MINISTER

CHRISTCHURCH REMITS A request to the Minister of Housing (Mr W. Sullivan) that he ensure that information on permits granted and refused for public and private buildings in Christchurch be made available, will be made by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. At the October meeting of the chamber’s council it was decided to ascertain: (1) The number of permits issued in the last two years ending March 31, 1955, and for the present year the date for: (a) Government, semi-Government and municipal building (b) Buildings by private interests. (2) The number of permits declined under both headings. At a recent meeting of the council. Mr J. J. B. Connor reported that, he could supply the figures for permits for private buildings but not for Government buildings because Crown property was not subject to bylaws. The Government building controller had said that the extraction of the information required would involve considerable effort “and as this office has not the time or the staff available to undertake this work, I regret the request cannot be acceded to?

The president (Mr W. G. V. Femle) said that a very similar reply had been received by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in answer to its inquiries. Mr J. Boyd-Clark: In other words we have been told to mind our own business.

A member. It is a sort of preChristmas reply. “We realise the difficulties of the situation, but we have asked for this information and we want it.” said

Mr J. Roy-Smith. He moved that the chamber write to the Minister asking him if he would make sure that the information be made available to the chamber. Seconding the . motion, Mr R. A. Witbrock said that it was not only the chamber that was interested, but also the general public. “Why restrict it to the City Council,” said Mr F. W. Freeman. “Tha Waimairi County Council is a fairly big concern and if you dealt with the whole metropolitan area you might have some success.” There might also be another way of getting the information. Every building had to be supplied with electricity so prob- • ably the Municipal Electricity Department could help.

Mr Fernie: I think that is a suggestion we might follow. Mr Roy-Smith’s motion was carried.