Radio Centre At Opawa

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31088, 17 June 1966, Page 10

Radio Centre At Opawa

If conditional use is allowed under the district town planning scheme, the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation may consolidate its administration offices, radio, and television studios on nine acres of Opawa land bounded by Butler street, Newbery street, Kitchener place, and the Heathcote river.

Objections to the plan will close with the Christchurch City Council on July 1 and, if any are received, they will be ' heard by a district scheme panel of the council’s town planning committee.

The corporation has district offices in the McLean Institute building, main radio and television studios in its own Gloucester street building, commercial radio services in Colombo street, and the outside broadcasting unit at its Lincoln road premises.

Even before the Broadcasting Corporation took over from the Broadcasting Service, it was official policy to

consolidate facilities and in 1960, a site at Halswell was acquired. This plan was abandoned last August because noise and other interference was feared from the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Wigram. Mr K. M. Hay, district manager of the N.Z.8.C., said yesterday that the Opawa depended on re-zoning and other factors. No building plans had been drawn but administration, radio and television blocks were proposed and some might go up to 40 feet.