Waimairi Seeks Action On Street Lighting Debt

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30447, 22 May 1964, Page 1

Waimairi Seeks Action On Street Lighting Debt

Although the Waimairi County Council owed the Municipal Electricity Department £35,000 for street lighting charges over the last three years, no efforts had been made to force the council to pay, the chairman (Mr J. I. Colligan) said at the monthly meeting of the council last evening.

“I challenge the Audit Department to show why the City Council is not forced to collect its debts,” he said. “It’s high time we had a proper showdown over this matter.”

Mr Colligan said his council had refused to pay the street lighting charges for three years and he could hot understand any local authority allowing an amount of £35,000 to be outstanding for so long without taking court action.

“Maybe the city council is afraid to take us to court for fear of losing the case. But I wish they would tell us,” he said.

Cr. W. E. Cassidy, who raised the issue in general business, said he was concerned about the existing, inadequate street lighting in the Belfast area. The fact

that some streets had only three lights just was not good enough, he said. “We want to Improve the whole standard of lighting throughout the county,” said Cr. W. T. Rice, “and I don’t think money should be wasted on temporary imrovements. The city council has been grossly at fault and as a result, our ratepayers have suffered. The sooner the question is settled in court, the better.” Cr. A. A. Adcock said that while his council had indicated it would be agreeabje to contribute its “just share” of finance towards the city council’s town hall project, the city council would donothing to help the county improve its street lighting. “We are prepared to pay for this work to be done, but can get no action," he said. There appeared to be two reasons why the city council would not assist, he said. “One is the dispute over the payment of street lighting charges but I am certain it

has been equally due to the fact that the city council has not in the past been prepared to improve the lighting in its own area.

“This is a most unreasonable attitude,” said Cr. Adcock. “The city council does not want Waimairi to have a better standard of lighting.” The council then supported Cr. Cassidy’s motion that the M.E.D. be asked to improve the existing street lighting in the Belfast district.