University Building Decision Soon

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31923, 26 February 1969, Page 30

University Building Decision Soon

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, February 25,

The proposed University of Canterbury library-arts block at Ilam would be considered by the Cabinet Works Committee next month, the chairman of the University Grants Committee (Mr A. J. Danks) said today.

He could not comment on what the committee might or might not do about the proposal. but perhaps this would, in the words of the university Vice-Chancellor (Professor N. C. Phillips), mark the end of the lean years for Canterbury. “Taking a short period of

expenditure on university buildings, it is true that Canterbury is in a lull between completion of the science block and the start of the library-arts tower,” said Mr Danks, commenting on protests at the university council meeting yesterday about the delay in Government approval for calling tenders for the block. Mr Danks said that the University Grants Committee had not yet received from the Government allocation of finance. The allocation was the amount of money the Government would place on the Estimates for university building in the forthcoming financial year. This allocation was still under consideration. Not Approved “We have made approaches to the Government and this includes, of course, provision for Canterbury University, but this has not yet been formally approved. There is no question of any lack of communication between this committee and the university and Government," said Mr Danks. “The: committee knows of Canter-; bury’s needs.

“I have no comment to make on the Fine Arts building,” he said. “We would hope that something might be possible for the halls of residence in next year’s subsidy programme, but this is no more than hopeful expectation.” The Minister of Education (Mr Kinsella) said that the University Grants Committee’s recommendation concerning the library-arts block at Ilam had already been fully considered by the Cabinet Works Committee, which deferred a decision till March.

He would therefore be resubmitting the proposal.