POST OFFICE AT SOCKBURN

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28836, 5 March 1959, Page 12

POST OFFICE AT SOCKBURN

Site Obtained For Building

Negotiations are under way for the purchase of land on which a new post office to serve the Sockburn area will be built. The site is opposite the Paparua County Council offices facing the Main South road, near its junction with Blenheim road. Details of the Post and Telegraph Department’s plans to provide Sockburn with a post office were given yesterday by the Post-master-General (Mr Moohan) in Christchurch.

Mr Moohan was meeting a deputation which sought an early replacement Of district postal facilities that had been lost when a storekeper in whose shop the office was placed took the space for his own expanding business. The deputation was arranged by the members of Parliament for Riccarton (Mr M. A. Connelly) who introduced to the Minister its two members—Messrs J. H. Weaver (Paparua County chairman) and A. Fazackerly (chairman of the Sockburn County Town Committee).

Mr Moohan told the deputation that the postal authorities had not been able to find a suitable place for the re-establishment of even limited postal facilities for the district and so had decided to find land to build a new post office that would provide greater-than-usual district services to meet present needs and future requirements of a rapidly-expanding residential and industrial area.

It was generally felt that the expense of erecting a temporary post office was not warranted. Mr Moohan said that the proposed site for the new post office was in a subdivision which would provide a new shopping area. The subdivider was not yet in a

position to pass title to the Ministry of Works land purchase branch because of negotiations with the drainage board over a water easement. Mr Moohan said that as soon as the subdivider and the board had come to agreement, details of the title transfer to the Ministry of Works land purchase branch would be got under way so that the section could be handed to the post office. ' In the meantime, endeavours would be made by the post office to find temporary post office accommodation to serve the area until the new premises came into use.