ROAD TUNNEL AUTHORITY

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28179, 18 January 1957, Page 12

ROAD TUNNEL AUTHORITY

Mr Mac Gibbon Elected First Chairman

“This seems to be all jacked up ... It seems to me that it is the greatest bit of lobbying in my experience of local bodies,” said Mr L. G. Amos, one of the Christchurch City Council’s representatives, alter Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon had been elected first chairman of the Road Tunnel Authority yesterday, and the other Government nominee, Mr R. A. Witbrock, had been proposed as deputychairman.

The first meeting of the Authority was not placid. Mr Amos opposed the chairman and the Town Clerk (Mr H. S. Feast) visiting Auckland to study the set-up of a similar body (the Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority).

The setting of a target date for the completion of the tunnel and the road to Christchurch was demanded by Mr Amos. Difficulties were explained. It was finally recorded that tenders for the tunnel should be called within from six to nine months and that the tunnel should be completed in three years, the term of the first members of the Authority before they retire.

The obligation to convene the authority had been placed on the Town Clerk of Christchurch, said Mr H. S. Feast. Members were appointed for five years, but two members of the first authority would retire after three years, two after four years, and three at the end of five years. The chairman was to be appointed for five years, in the first place, and subsequently for three years. He assumed that the first responsibility of the authority was to elect a chairman “Have you prepared any agenda?” asked Mr Amos.

The first duty was properly to constitute the authority, which could then decide to continue its meeting or meet again, replied the Town Clerk. Some matters required urgent attention. The authority was entitled to borrow money by overdraft, the limit to be fixed by the Minister of Finance and the amounts so raised being guaranteed by the Government. No doubt,* the authority would want to consider administration, the appointment of a provisional secretary, and the early adoption of standing orders.

“How do you propose to take the voting for the chairmanship?” asked Mr Amos.

Mr Feast: That is for you gentlemen to decide.

“Is that not over to you, according to the act?” Mr Amos asked Mr Feast: Mv duty is to convene the meeting and it is for you to decide.

Mr W. Morris (Lyttelton Borough Council) moved, and Mr V. G. Spiller (combined boroughs) seconded, that the election be by secret ballot. “After all is said and done, this is the Road Tunnel Authority and us chans have to do our job," said Mr Amos. “I make the suggestion that when the ballot is taken the voting be not disclosed. I think it is most improper that it should be disclosed Anv misgivings that anybody might have over being beaten for the chairmanship would be eliminated and it would heln for harmony of the whole authority in the years to come.” Mr Morris’s motion was carried “Rough and Tumble” Mr Amos moved that the votins papers be destroyed. “I don’t care who gets in.” said Mr W. P. Glue (City Council) • 4 I am prepared to do mv best.” Mr F. W. Freeman nominated Mr Witbrock as chairmen and Mr Morris proposed Mr Mac Gibbon “You won’t have a heart attack?” Mr Amos asked Mr Ma-’-Gibbon when the votes were collected by Mr Feast. Mr Freeman: It is a rough and tumble. “Pretty rough and tumble. 1 would think.” commented Mr Amos. When Mr Witbrock produced a road tunnel booklet prepared bv the promotion committee and offered it to Mr Amos, Mr Amos said, “I don’t want it, thank you.” Mr Glue: You haven’t this one Mr Amos: I have had a draft When Mr Mac Gibbon’s election was announced. Mr Witbrock said “Congratulations.” and Mr MacGibbon replied, “Thank you. Ray.” Blood Pressure?

“How is your blood pressure now?” Mr Amos inquired from Mr Mac Gibbon, who replied, “I? is down.” Mr Amos: I bet it will be. Mr Glue: It won’t be down for long.

“No, because he will have me on his tail.” said Mr Amos. Mr Mac Gibbon: We are a small committee and we have a tremenous job to do. Now we have the authority, we will get on with it.

“I hope you will,” interposed Mr Amos. “I cannot do it on my own.'* continued Mr Mac Gibbon. “We are a small committee and I hope we will share and share alike.” When Mr Morris proposed Mr Witbrock as deputy-chairman, Mr Amos exclaimed: “This seems to be all jacked up. A lot of lobbying has gone on. I have been on holidays.” “Not as far as I have seen.” said Mr Morris. “It seems to me that it is the greatest bit of lobbying in my experience on local bodies.” said Mr Amos.

Mr Witbrock: I dissociate myself from that statement.

Mr Mac Gibbon: We want to be a happy committee “I am entitled to express my opinion and I express that one now,” said Mr Amos. When he was declared elected. Mr Witbrock said he could assure members that he would dr his best to work with Mr MacGibbon as he had done in the past. “Not Available” On being nominated by the chairman as a member of a subcommittee to consider standing orders, Mr Amos said he would not be available. Standing orders were available A standard set of standing orders was available, said Mr Glue. Mr Amos: I asked for a set three weeks ago and they were not available at the Harbour Board. And you are chairman. As routine was being discussed, not the Authority go intoi

committee and let the reporters go? asked Mr Freeman. Mr Mac Gibbon: We have no other important business. Will you move that? Mr Freeman moved that the meeting go into committee and Mr Amos promptly said: “I am against it.” “And so am I,” said Mr Morris The motion was not seconded and the chairman, deputy chairman and Messrs Glue and Spiller were appointed the standing orders committee. Auckland Study “Next to consider is just what we are going to do,” said the chairman. The road tunnel Bill was based very largely on the Auckland Harbour Bridge Bill. Like that body, the Authority was starting from zero, except for the background of work done by the old committee. He suggested that someone be sent to Auckland to study the set-up there. Mr Witbrock would agree with him that they were akin to the Auckland authority, which had many pitfalls to crawl over or get out of. Mr Glue said the Town Clerk, the secretary of the Harbour Board and clerks of local bodies were prepared to help in the meantime until a secretary was appointed. *

It would be a good idea if the chairman visited Auckland and obtained all information, said Mr Morris.

Mr Mac Gibbon; 1 only make the suggestion that somebody should go up, because it could give us a lot of help. The suggestion that Mr Feast be asked to act as secretary in the meantime, so that a budget could be prepared, was made by Mr Witbrock. When Mr Freeman mentioned that New Zealand engineers would be holding a conference in Auckland this month, Mr MacGibbon said he did not wish to discuss engineering at this stage.

“Haven’t you any clues yourself?” Mr Amos asked the chairman.

Mr Mac Gibbon: Yes. ‘ “Why don t you do it yourself?” asked Mr Amos.

“We have a very big job with tremendous expenditure,” replied Mr Mac Gibbon. “The Auckland set-up is the same as our bill.” Mr Amos: Why not get a copy of it? Why do you want the advice? Mr Mac Gibbon: We want the best assistance and for the cost of going to Auckland we can get very valuable assistance. “Get it by mail,” advised Mr Amos.

The decision was made that the chairman and Mr Feast should visit Auckland, if possible early next week. The Authority also decided to ask the City Council to give it temporary imprest until the overdraft was arranged Patting House In Order

The Authority had to deal with the questions of an office, conferring with the Ministry of Works and “perhaps our own engineer,” said Mr Mac Gibbon. “We should put our own house in order first,” suggested Mr Spiller.

The chairman; Yes, that is what i was suggesting—that we get our own house straight.

Mr Witbrock asked for an indication of the frequency of meetings of the authority as some of the members were tied up with other bodies.

Mr Freeman: How often do you propose meeting? Once a month?

Mr Mac Gibbon: More often than that. We hope to get under way and have a conference with the Lyttelton Borough Council and the Railways Department and submit our plans to local bodies I was hoping we would get our plans ready for submission in six months, Mr Witbrock. Mr Witbrock: No, six to nine months There is a lot of work to be done. Most of the construction, except for the Lyttelton portal, was in the Heathcote county, said Mr Freeman. The centre line had been pegged and gazetted in 1945 and the county had excluded from subdivision the land involved. All the data, except on the tunnel itself, were available and he believed that the road could be commenced in the time But the tunnel required detailed, specialised work, involving a bridge over the Heathcote river at Ferry road and an overhead bridge at the railway. When the question of the taking of land under the Public Works Act was raised, the chairman said the Authority had the power to take the land. Mr Glue: And to decide the tunnel itself. “We will have'to hold another meeting with the Railways Department, which is going to make it very difficult for the approach on the Lyttelton side,” said Mr Morris.

The chairman said he would like the Authority to meet at least twice a month.

“I visualise something more than two or three-hour meetings,” said Mr Witbrock. “I think it will be a half-day job at the start.” Target Wanted There would have to be very close liaison with the Ministry of Works, said the chairman, and some members might have to be co-opted The calling of the next meeting was left to the chairman, who * w

then asked: “Is there any other business?”

“When are you going to finish the tunnel?” asked Mr Amos of the chairman. “In your life? We should have a target date.”

“I don’t see how we can consider a target in the meantime.” replied Mr Mac Gibbon. “We want to endeavour to have the tenders called in six to nine months. Thai should be our target—calling for tenders at the earliest possible moment.”

Mr Amos: And your earliest is six to nine months?

“I am not going to tie myself down,” replied Mr Mac Gibbon. “There is a tremendous lot of work.” Mr Amos: So much?

Mr Morris: You have to get the Railways, the Ministry and others to agree. “We should make a target date and finish the job in the term of this organisation,” said Mr Amos.

Mr Morris: We hope so. “That is within three years?” Mr Amos suggested. “If that has registered I am happy. This thing has been hanging on for years." Mr Freeman: Thirty-five years. “That doesn’t reflect much credit on anyone.” said Mr Amos. Completion of Tunnel “Mr Amos, we are a new Authority,” said Mr Mac Gibbon. “Much water has passed under the bridge before we could get a sympathetic Government and the Tunnel Road Committee kept the flag flying until the Government came into line.” The proposal was that the tunnel be completed three years from the signing of the contract, said Mr Witbrock. “That is fine,” commented Mr Amos. “If we do that we will have done a great job. Let us make it the target,” Plans by the Ministry of Works would be tabled from time to time, said the chairman. “The route—are they changing round?” asked Mr Glue. The chairman: I don’t know. Mr Glue: The public should be advised. Engineer Question “Surely we are not going to have an engineer for the job?” asked Mr Amos, when the chairman mentioned an engineer. “We might have a consulting engineer.”

Mr Mac Gibbon: We are laymen here and we have to have some guidance from an engineering point of view.

The Authority had, for a start, to have plans and specifications, Mr Feast pointed out. The Heathcote County Council was quite satisfied with the road line as planned, said Mr Freeman. “Is there any other business?” the chairman asked again. “I want an understanding that a meeting will be called at the earliest possible moment on your return from Auckland,” said Mr Amos.

Mr Mac Gibbon: That is already minuted.

And that when the meeting is called a proper agenda will be prepared for the activation of this work,” continued Mr Amos. Mr Mac Gibbon: All right. Mr Amos: Do you say “Yes.” Mr Mac Gibbon: I say “All right.”