RAPID DEVELOPMENT AT KAIAPOI

Press, Volume C, Issue 29488, 14 April 1961, Page 17

RAPID DEVELOPMENT AT KAIAPOI

Development in Kaiapoi is not limited to the port and its growing trade, for remarkable progress has been achieved in many directions. Claims of up to a 77 per cent, increase have been made for the growth of the population of Kaiapoi in recent years and associated with this has been a rapid development in subdivision, and housing not only in, but around the borough also.

There has been an increasing awareness of Kaiapoi as an industrial centre also, and there are those in the town who consider the district still has strong claims for the setting up of a pulp and paper industry in the neighbourhood. More recently there have been several other inquiries by industries about possible sites and facilities.

Naturally the rapid growth of the town in recent years posed problems for the civ’c authority but the borough council has met the challenge with an aggressive works policy. There is still a feeling in the town, said the Mayor (Mr O. M. Williams) that Kaiapoi might be chosen for the site of the proposed pulp and paper mill and there have been inquiries by other industries. A possible factor in the numerous inquiries being made in connexion with the establishment of industry could be the rapid population growth. The population of the borough is now about 3200, while many more persons live in the county areas adjoining the borough. Many Factors Among the factors that have played a major part in making Kaiapoi a more desirable residential centre in recent years has been the completion of a £131,000 sewerage scheme, but the comparative cheapness of sections has played a significant part also. In the majority of cases sections have been available at several hundred pounds below the price expected for residential sites in Christchurch suburbs. Those who have chosen Kaiapoi as a place to live, while still working in Christchurch, find little if any inconvenience from the extra distance they are from the centre of the city. In addition to sections already available for building in the town a further 50 are expected to be developed to the east of the Main North road on the southern ap proach to the town. Reading An intensive reading reconstruction programme has enabled recent councils to overtake a backlog of sealing work and Mr Williams said it is hoped in the ensuing year to seal most of the streets still waiting to be done. In conjunction with this work there has been steady progress with the installation of kerbing and channelling, and it is hoped to do a con-

siderable amount this year, too. The street through the main shopping area will be improved by installing side channel covers and decreasing the camber of the road. This work is expected to enable motorists to park closer to the footpath and thus clear about a total of six feet of the road width for through traffic. New Schools To keep pace with the increasing population a new primary school is being constructed on the Main North road at the northern end of the town, to ease the accom-

modation problem at the present Kaiapoi School, which has a roll of about 600. On a site of about six acres four classrooms and other facilities, including a dental clinic are being provided in the initial stages but the final plans provide for a further eight classrooms with additional facilities.

Subject to suitable negotiations by the Ministry of Works for the purchase of land a 20-acre block has been decided on as a suitable site for a high school. This block, on the southern end of the town, is in an area bounded on three sides by Vickery street, Ohoka and Coups roads.

As the harbour authority, the council not only had the task of restoring the wharf for the reopening of the port in 1958, but since then it has carried out a major task of providing a new concrete wharf and Mr Williams said it is hoped to further improve the other berth to better accommodate the increasing volume of shipping using the river.

Civic Centre A variety of organisations in the town have combined in recent years to raise funds to provide a community centre for the borough and the question of the proposed building becoming a new civic centre incorporating council chambers and offices, library, and community centre has been discussed. Although the location has not been settled, Trousellot Park has been named as a possible site. The elderly folk of Kaiapoi are being catered for by the provision of flats and with the addition of the two blocks completed in the last few months the council now has eight double and eight single accommodation flats. It is likely, said Mr Williams, that a further four units will be erected on the same site as the ones only recently completed. These flats were constructed for the council with the help of a Government subsidy and are let to approved tenants at 28s for the single units and 30s for the double. Since receiving a deputation from the council, the North Canterbury Hospital Board has indicated a new hospital will be provided in the town, possibly on the site of the present seven-bed hospital. The new building will provide accommodation for eight patients with provision for extension to 10 beds. Facilities For Sport Among the many advantages claimed for Kaiapoi are the recreational facilities available in or handy to the town. Team sports such as football and cricket are catered for by parks in the area. The town has a fine golf course, while tennis, softball and rowing are among the outdoor sports catered for. A number of indoor bowls clubs are established

and other indoor sports are badminton and table tennis. The Waimakariri river is a popular venue for yachting and power-boat enthusiasts and for those who enjoy the surf there are the Pines and Kairaki beaches. The town has also its swimming pool and a very active swimming club. Motor - cyclists are catered for by a club in the town.

Believed to be the only saw of its type in the South Island, and possibly in New Zealand, this horizontal bandsaw is shown slicing through a pinus log at the sawmills of Sutherland and Company. Ltd.. Kaiapoi. .Capable of cutting logs of up to 3ft 6in into one-inch Hoards, the saw was specially imported from Germany after an engineer, who is a relative of a senior member of the company, had drawn the attention of the company to information about

the saw contained in an overseas technical publication. A film strip of the saw in action was sent out from Germany specially for the company and, after studying the motion pictures, a decision was made to buy the saw, although the company was advised against this by some authorities.

The saw has proved very satisfactory, said a spokesman for the company yesterday, and enabled the company to supply boards in

two and three-foot widths. Gravel on the outside of the logs is inclined to take the edge off the saw perhaps more quickly than with the conventional circular saw, said the spokesman, but a good cutting edge is quickly restored by means of an automatic sharpening device.

There are two other horizontal band saws in use in the North Island but these do not operate in the same manner as the Kaiapoi saw, according to the spokesman.