DECISION TO EXTEND DIAMOND HARBOUR SEWERAGE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30190, 23 July 1963, Page 17

DECISION TO EXTEND DIAMOND HARBOUR SEWERAGE

The Lyttelton Borough Council decided last evening to extend the Diamond Harbour sewerage reticulation at an. estimated cost ef £50,H0. It asked its finance committee to prepare a financial scheme for submission to the Local Authorities Loans Board, and also decided to send copies of reports on the project to the Diamond Harbour Burgesses’ Association. As the council had no funds available to pay for the extensions. a loan would have to be raised for the full sum, said the Town Clerk (Mr J. Thompson).-

“If the council decides to raise this loan some investi-' gation should be made as to where the money can be raised, and for what term and interest rate.'* he said. Should the council borrow the full sum for a term of 30 years the annual charges sufficient to pay interest and repay the loan would be about £3375.

“The bill coming before Parliament this session will, if passed, allow the council to recover these charges from section owners at Diamond

Harbour on the basis of the number of sections owned,’’ said Mr Thompson. The loan charges of the present water and sewerage loans could also be recovered according to the number of sections owned, he said. These charges amounted to £3051, of which the council was paying £lO6l out of its general account. There were 420 rateable sections in the area, so to spread the total cost of £7026 (including £6OO for maintenance) over the sections would entail an annual rate of £l6 15s a section he said. “It is understood that if the method ot spreading the charges is adopted, the present water and sewerage loan rate would not be levied." Water and sewerage loan rates paid at present varied from £1 5s 6d for an empty section up to £l4 3s 4d for the most valuable properties, said Mr Thompson. Cr. E A. Camfield said the rates would be reduced considerably after 10 years when stage one of the loan was repaid What would happen. Cr. N. D. Parratt asked, if the bill referred to by the Town Clerk was not passed by Parliament?

Cr. W Dodds: Do you have an alternative plan? “I think I am entitled to ask a question,” said Cr. Parratt. “Thie whole proposal is based solely on the supposition that the bill will be passed ”

If that was the case, said Cr. Dodds, the council would have to look into the whole question again. Water Supply.—A routine bacteriological water test in the borough had revealed a remote pollution of the supply, said a report from the Health Department “This presents no hazard, but efforts should be made to ensure that the source is protected from further contamination." the report said. The matter was referred to the health and sanitation committee for consideration.

Grant To Lepers.—A grant of £2 2s was made to the Makogai and Pacific Leper Fund. Reclaimed Land.—Application will be inade to the Local Government Commission for the inclusion in the borough of the land reclaimed by the Lyttelton Harbour Board on its harbour tension project Hawker’s Licence Refused.— A request by Mr G Haverland for a licence to sell clothing and furniture direct to the public in the borough was refused.