Protest At Building Delay At University

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 16

Protest At Building Delay At University

A strong protest at the delay in Government approval for calling tenders for the new University of Canterbury library-arts block at Ham was voiced at a meeting of the University Council yesterday. The vice-chancellor (Professor N. C. Phillips) described the delay as “bitterly disappointing and most alarming.”

The University Grants Committee had advised that Cabinet works committee approval had been deferred until March, he said. The deferment meant the loss of three months the university simply could not afford to lose.

cil to inform the Grants Committee and the Government of its requirements for the temporary buildings. Professor Phillips said since planning for arts building at Ham began 10 years ago the university had been dogged by demands for space reductions.

“Even if permission is given to call tenders in March, building can hardly begin before May. The contract period is 45 months, and if we are to occupy the lib-rary-arts building for the 1973 session everything will have to go smoothly and without hindrance,” Professor Phillips said. Any delay beyond 1972 in moving from the city site could not be contemplated. “In 1973, we should have a population of about 5500 on the five acres originally intended to accommodate a few hundred,” he added. This compared with the previous maximum of 4000 immediately before the science faculty moved to Ham. The university would also be expected by the City Council to have removed temporary structures, which had long been indispensable even with existing numbers. There would be intolerable congestion in lecture rooms and in the Student Union. This would have spread to the library, staff studies and seminar rooms, the registry, and, if it had survived, to the gymnasium.

He referred to delay in the preparation of sketch plans and the preliminary assessment of costs for arts buildings, other than the artslibrary tower. Yet virtually simultaneous completion of all buildings needed to house the faculties of arts, law and commerce, the department of music and the registry at 11am, was essential if the university was to be able to function.

“We hobble along, and have hobbled along for nine years as a university divided by faculties,” he said. “If faculties become divided among themselves, I do not easily see how we are to do our work without the gravest prejudice to the academic and social welfare of our students.” Reduced Period

Pointing out that access to the new building would have to be provided two or three months before the academic year of 1973 began, the Chancellor (Mr T. H. McCombs) said he would like to see the Ministry of Works reduce the contract period. The numbers seeking entrance to university would probably exceed estimates, he added. This year there were increased numbers in lower sixth forms.

“The city site will have become a dangerously overcrowded slum, and no authority in the university can fairly be asked to answer for the consequences,” said the vice-chancellor. The council decided to communicate its concern to the University Grants Committee and advise it of the last date for occupation in order to use the new arts-library building for 1973 Council Help

Anything the City Council could do to help the university it would do, said the Mayor. “If a decision is waited for and then a protest made this will waste time,” he said, asking whether the City Council could help by approaching the Grants Committee or the Government.

It will inquire into a possible reduction in the period of construction and also decided to accept the offer of the Mayor (Mr A. R. Guthrey) of City Council co-operation. It will ask the City Coun-

The vice-chancellor said there were 300,000 books to be shifted to Ham and time to provide shelving and accomplish the move would have to be provided.