Drainage Board To Proceed With Building Loan Scheme

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29801, 18 April 1962, Page 17

Drainage Board To Proceed With Building Loan Scheme

The Christchurch Drainage Board did not intend to provide an extravagant new administration building, as had been alleged, but intended to have a functional building to increase the over-all efficiency and to provide conditions where the staff could work effectively without the ever-present frustrations of the existing circumstances, said the chairman (Mr F. R. Price) last evening.

Mr Price made a report on the board’s proposal to apply to the Local Authorities Loans Board for sanction to a loan of £150,000 for a building on land it owns in Cambridge terrace. After the decision of the board's last meeting, a public meeting in Northcote protested. The board agreed to apply to the Loans Board after rejecting a proposal that the scheme be deferred for two years.

Two objections to the loan were received from the North Papanui-Northcote-S.yx Drainage Reticulation Action Committee and the Ixorth Papanui-Slyx branch of the Labour Party. Both were on the ground that While loan money was scarce the board should give priority to sewer reticulation, especially in areas where the lack of sewerage was a danger to public health. It was obvious that the objections were based on some misconceptions which need not have arisen had the promoters of the meeting invited the board to attend, Mr Price said. “It would not be unreasonable to suggest that they should have been concerned in getting as much information as possible about the proposals, rather than de--1 berately excluding the board, as the chairman of the meeting was reported as having said.” Mr Price said the present building, which was partly owned by the board and partly leased, was structurally poor in many parts and Old. The natural light was poor, ventilation in parts inadequate and the heating makeshift. “Staff Cramped" All engineering staff were badly cramped for room and there was no privacy for part cular discussions with the public or room to spread out plans without interfering with other staff and their work. In some cases senior eng neers were separated from their staffs, making supervision difficult. Plan storage was scattered ell over the building. “It is doubtful if there is another organisation in the city which is so dependent upon plans,” Mr Price conLnued. “The long-term planning division is five minutes’ walk from the principal office.” There was quite inadequate parking space on the pre-

mises and the use of rented space elsewhere involved loss of time. The lease of the Colombo street premises expired in November, 1963, and that of 198 Hereford street in June. 1964. It was not expected that there would be difficulty in securing renewal of the leases, but the future of the board’s proposals must be determined before negotiations regarding the leases took place. No expansion of the staff was possible at present. Further staff could not be physically accommodated. The proposed building loan represented only 3 per cent, of the money raised by the board during the loan programme of the last 10 years. Mr R. C. Neville said it should be made clear that it was not proceeding with anything beyond what would meet its own needs. “I feel there is some merit in the objections, and suggest that we should discuss this with the objecting ratepayers to see if we can resolve the position.” said Mr M. R. Carter. The relationship between the building loan application and loan money for reticulation should be made Objection To Politics “I seriously object to the fact that the meeting tended to become political and that the member for Linwood attended without giving the member for the district or the chairman an opportunity to attend.” Mr Carter said. “My concern has been to get sewer facilities to the people in the area as quickly as possible. and it would be wrong to allow political expediency to interfere with the work.” Mr Carter said there could be a case for postponing a decision to the board’s next meeting. “It was not a political meeting, I was not there as a member of the board: anyone could have gone,” said Mr A. J. Smith.

Money that would be spent on an office building could very well be spent on sewerage in the district, he added. The present building had served the board for more than 70 years, said Mr R. H. Stillwell. A new building could have been erected years ago. but now the board had a primary duty to reticulate unsewered areas. “A little further delay would do no harm,” said Mr Stillwell in moving that the loan application be delayed for two years. One could sympathise with the objectors when they thought that money for reticulation might be diverted to a building, said Mr G. A. G. Connal. But it had been reported by the finance committee 1 that obtaining of money for the building would not divert £1 from the reticulation loan money from the ordinary public investors. “30 Years’ Work” To a suggestion that the building should wait until the reticulation programme was completed. Mr E. V. Smith said that might be 30 years. The rents paid in that time would meet more than half the cost of the building. Both projects were worthwhile. Mr H. J. Corbett said. The staff was entitled to proper working conditions and amenities; but the sewerage projects must come first. A way should be found to achieve both objects. While it was true that reciprocal loans could be used for a building, they could be used for other purposes, including reticulation, said Mr Price. The application to the Loans Board was an initial step. The board could still review the position when it applied to raise the finance. The Loans Board would examine the proposal fully and seek expert advice on the technical, financial and economic aspects of the scheme. When the amendment seeking a postponement for two years was put to the meeting, the voting was eight to four against. All four Labour Party members voted for it. Mr Carter joined them in opposing the motion for application to the Loans Board.

Demand For Poll

The decision of the majority of the Christchurch Drainage Board to raise a loan for an office building at a time when thousands :>£ ratepayers had no sewerage connexion, and at a time when the future of the board was uncertain, would cause general concern to residents in the board’s rating, said the president of Residents Affiliated (Mr B. H. Paton) last evening. Mr Paton was present at a meeting of the board when the chairman (Mr F. R. Price) read a prepared statement to the meeting to justify the proposal. “Neither Mr Price’s statement nor ’he remarks made afterwards do anything to allay the genuine concern of the residents,” Mr Paton said. “Expressions oi opinion received by Residents Affiliated all favour a poll and, assuming that our delegates in the federation take the same stand, the Local Authorities Loans Board will be asked to stipulate a poll,” said Mr Paton. “A deputation from Residents Affiliated consisting of the secretary <Mrs M. Y. Burrows) and myself saw the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Gotz) this evening, and asked him to advise the Local Government Commission of the developments. Mr Gotz said that he would inquire into the matter al holding a poll,” Mr Paton said.