University Buildings And City By-laws

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 10

University Buildings And City By-laws

“It seems beyond argument that the building by-laws of the Christchurch City Council have not been broken in the technical legal sense. But they have very definitely been bent by the university,” Mr A. C. Brassington told a meeting of the Civic Trust on Monday evening.

Criticising the continued use of temporary buildings at the University of Canterbury, Mr Brassington said that the City Council “should hesitate long before ever again granting a so-called temporary building permit to the university.” “It is to be hoped that both the university and the City Council will continue to press the Government, so that the building programme may be continued in such a way as to enable the university to have its clapboard buildings removed, and to conform to law even at this late stage. “It seems abundantly plain that the masters of Ham are also the masters of this city. It is apparent that there is one law for the university, which is privileged, and another law for the private citizen, whose home is subject to the oppression of the town planner, and with little if any effective redress,” he said.

“If laws are made they should be enforced, not only against the weak, but also against the powerful, including the leaders of popular clamour. "The result of a bad example is that a general

contempt for law arises. It is my belief that so-called student power stems from the neglect by universities, not only in New Zealand but overseas, not only to obey law, but to set an example of obedience to law. The alternative leads to anarchy.” said Mr Brassington. “The powerful can always look after themselves. The ordinary citizen has no security but in the justice of the laws, and the impartiality and fearlessness with which the laws are administered " The chairman of the Civic Trust (Mr J. Oakley) said letters had been sent to both the University Council and the City Council on the matter, and the City Council had written to the Minister of Education (Mr Kinsella) expressing concern at the continued use of the buildings and asking that the necessary approvals for the university building programme be given by the Government without delay. Mr Oakley said the trust had done what it could.