"lnnocent Party” In Dispute

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30558, 29 September 1964, Page 18

"lnnocent Party” In Dispute

The University of Canterbury is “an innocent party” in the dispute in which the Waimairi County Council has threatened to put a stopwork notice on the next building started at Ham without a permit.

“The Crown is not liable to obtain building permits, and the Crown, in executing public works, is not bound by local body by-laws or regulations,” the Vice-Chan-cellor (Dr. L. L. Pownall) told the University Council yesterday.

Dr. Pownall said that this dispute went back some time. Last year the Waimairi County. Council expressed concern that permits had not been obtained for current works at Ham, and asked that it be kept informed and plans submitted for comment The Ministry of Works solicitor had given the ruling quoted above. “The university is an inno-

cent party,” said Dr. Pownall. The Ministry of Works was in charge of all planning and construction, and Waimairi’s dispute, if real, was with that department. The university itself erected only minor buildings, and in each case had obtained permits.

“Stop-work notices on our buildings could mean that we would not have them ready on schedule and might have to exclude students, in which case we could give no priority to those from Waimairi,” said Dr. Pownall. “It might be helpful at this time if this was explained to the Waimairi County Council. This involves the careers of young people. Surely there must be some other way in which Waimairi can take this up with the Government. Higher education is removed from local or national politics.” Mr T. H. McCombs said he thought a stop-work notice would have no legal effect.

If Waimairi’s interest was to collect building permit fees, these must be recovered from the taxpayer or from students. It was well known that the university was granted a given sum for building. Subtraction of fees would mean that amount less for building.

“As an aside, may I point out that the Counties Act empowers a county to contribute to the funds of universities. Waimairi wants to take money from us and apply it to its own funds,” said Mr McCombs.

It was agreed to inform the Waimairi County Council of the position as the university sees it