Time Not Of Board’s Making

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32032, 5 July 1969, Page 19

Time Not Of Board’s Making

Although 13 flood relief works, arranged in a strict order of priority, have been approved by the Christchurch Drainage Board, when they will be undertaken rests not with the board but with the Local Authorities’ Loans Board. Because of the cost of these works, the Drainage Board must borrow money. Before it can do so it must make application to the Loans Board and await loan sanctions. The Loans Board has been prepared to sanction loans relating to flood relief, but has been reluctant to approve loans for piping which is more for amenity purposes. For example, the Loans

Cavendish Road area, with the exception of $55,000 for the piping of roadside drains whefe tHe piping was hot part , of the major drainage improvement scheme. 1 It is obvious, therefore, , that there will be no merit in ’ the Drainage Board spending , further time preparing pro- , posals for the piping of roadside drains for amenity reaI sons only. This means that ; residents in such areas will „ have to wait until all sewer demands have been met. While the more major stormwater works require ■ loan finance, the Drainage 1 Board carries out a number ! of more minor works out of > revenue- But the number and 1 extent of the work®'that can ' be undertaken in any year depends upon the finance 1 available. Board recently approved an ’application for wort in the ! On its annual estimates the • board has listed 84 works of this relatively minor nature, i although some of them could

i cost up to $30,000. r The estimate value of these ’ works is some $403X100, but t the board has been able to -allocate only $75,725 this financial year because a • greater allocation would have > resulted in greater rate inScreases. The board has already ac- • cepted tenders or started con- • structfon on 11 of these f works since framing its esti- • mates in May. But, as the r total value of these works exceeds the funds available, the r board will not be able to ins vite tenders for a number of s other works until late in the r financial year, although plans f for some will be ready almost I immediately and others proi gressively through the year. r This means that relief s works and outfalls which the board hoped to undertake 1 this year will have to be des layed, although the board ! hopes to be able to call tendt ers for some of these works , before the end of its finan--1 cial year.