LOCAL ELECTIONS Citizens’ Assn. Case For Drainage Board Support

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30559, 30 September 1964, Page 18

LOCAL ELECTIONS Citizens’ Assn. Case For Drainage Board Support

The Labour Party’s allegations of “bungling” and “ineptitude” in its manifesto for the Christchurch Drainage Board’s election were rediculous in the face of the board’s unparalleled achievement and an unfair reflection on the enthusiasm and effective work of the staff, said a policy statement issued by the Christchurch Citizens’ Association yesterday.

The administration under' the association could point with pride to tremendous achievements in the last 10! years, the statement said. In the present term of office there had been a climax to; planning and hard work with the completion of the sewage treatment works, the major, relief sewers, numerous pump- j ing stations and extensive; sewer reticulation.

"The post-war building j boom and an inadequate' sewer system threatened ; Christchurch with a major health problem, but thanks to! the drive of the Citizens’ ad-i ministration and the loyal cooperation of the board’s staff.; this problem has been avert-; ed.” the statement continued.) Of the future, the association said it would be the; policy to ensure that the work; vital to the health of Christ-, church would continue unabated. Next month the board) would be calling tenders for ! the first work of the stage 3; reticulation programme—in; the Avonhead area, with Bur-) wood following shortly after in the first weeks of the New' Year. By efficient and economic) management, the board had substantial loan authority, in excess of £150,000, from the ' second stage available for the initial works. When the third)' stage programme was com-)' pleted sewerage facilities ] would have, been given to all, < settlements within the urban 11 fence. ] Multi-storeyed buildings in']

the heart of the city affected: the capacity of sewers. The sewer laid through Cathedral) square recently was part of ! the programme designed to; mised that commercial de-; fore they became problems.; The Citizens’ Association pro-' mised that commercial development of the city would not be hindered by inade-! quate sewerage. Increased attention could ;

now be paid to eliminating; stormwater flooding problems, the statement continued. The Citizens’ board had achieved! a great deal so far with the; cleaning, deepening and) lining of drains and streams.; Many miles of open drains, along the flanks of urban j streets had been converted ■ into piped drains, and con-; tinued progress was prom-' ised. As Christchurch expanded/

the stormwater run-off increased apace and the importance of the Estuary of the Avon and Heathcote rivers became increasingly apparent. The board was well aware of this and had commissioned a consortium of Christchurch engineers to bring down proposals for the estuary. A large-scale model of the Estuary was being built at the Wallingford Re-

search Station in England. The model study was an important preliminary to the design of works which would safeguard the stormwater drainage of the city. Whatever recommendations were brought down for the improvement of the Estuary would be implemented with the same drive and efficiency as the sewerage problem had been, the association promised.