Riccarton Council For Tunnel Tolls

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30368, 18 February 1964, Page 15

Riccarton Council For Tunnel Tolls

The Riccarton Borough Council refused last evening by four votes to three, with one abstention, to urge that tolls on the Christ-church-Lyttelton road tunnel be abolished.

A motion that tolls should be dispensed with was moved by Cr. R S. Lester, who said that the charges were a mistake.

“We should be big enough to admit a mistake has been made.” he said.

Lyttelton was the main port for the South Island, and the authorities had seen fit to put a charge on something that was promised to the people of Lyttelton 40 years ago, he said.

Cr. Lester said that part of the reason behind the shift of Christchurch businesses to the North Island was the cost of transport. Any business projects in the North Island got Government approval, he continued, while the South Island sat back and did nothing.

There would be added transport costs to the farmers. Industry could be crippled, and also everything else in the South Island, he said. More than 50 per cent of the 2s 6d charge would go out in the cost of receiving it. Between £15,000 and £20.000 a year would go on the administration block before a start could be made on loan repayments, said Cr. Lester. In support of Cr. Lester. Cr F. R. Gilbert said that much of the cost could have been adjusted to cost the community less. The administration staff numbered three more than the Auckland harbour bridge staff. The estimated number of vehicles using the tunnel was onetenth that of the Auckland bridge. It was not too late to reexamine the situation. Persons bringing up the question of toll charges were to be commended, he said. The best possible use should be made of the tunnel, Cr. i Gilbert said. The whole of the Canterbury Province would be bearing the cost. Cr. G. A. Franks said that the toll condition to the loan for the tunnel should never have been agreed to. The North Island had little difficulty in getting money for its projects. It had been a 40-1 year fight to get another hole I in the hill.

Initially the loans board had refused the application. It was political pull that finally got the loan, on condition that tolls be charged. He was a great believer in the user paying, but this was something different, Cr. Franks said. The tunnel road was a main highway. The National Roads Board should have built it with highway funds, he added.

The Mayor (Mr E. J. Bradshaw) said he agreed that things should be made easier for industry. However. he joined with Cr. J. B. Midgley and Cr. R. W. J. Harrington, and was not able to support the motion. Sir Sidney Holland had said the only way to get the necessary legislation for the tunnel was to agree to a charge, and the local bodies had agreed.

Canterbury would be welshing on its agreement in a most deplorable way if it went cap in hand to Parliament and asked for legislation to relieve it of its debt, he said.

I Auckland was still paying • for its bridge. It would not I have got it if it had not i agreed to charge tolls. He did not consider that cond.- : tions had changed enough to 1 warrant release from the | agreement. | On a show of hands the ' motion was lost by four ! votes to three. Cr. Franks j abstained.