Abattoir Improvements Might Cost $2m

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32214, 5 February 1970, Page 12

Abattoir Improvements Might Cost $2m

Progressive improvements to the city abattoir which might eventually cost about s2m would continue to be made until it was the best in New Zealand, the chairman of the City Council works committee (Cr W. V, Cowles) said in a statement yesterday.

Ci’ Cowles was commenting on criticisms of standards of hygiene expressed by Cr L. P. Manion, of the Paparua County Council, on Monday.

“The Christchurch City Council initiated a modernisation scheme for the city

abattoir in 1965,” Cr Cowles said. “This was subsequently discussed with the director of the Meat Division, Department of Agriculture, and a consultative committee representing the council, the department, the abattoir operators and the freezing companies. It was then implemented. “It was estimated that by 1975 upgrading would have been done at a cost of sl.4m. To date more than $400,000 has been spent on the modernisation of the mutton line. “Tenders have closed for the formation of a new car park which is necessary before a start is made on the

new hanging hall. Tenders for this portion of the hanging hall should be called within three months. This is estimated to cost more than half a million dollars and, of course, will improve the appearance of the building. “Progressive improvements will be continued until the city abattoir is second to none in the country. This may well eventually cost about s2m. “During the first stage of this upgrading the staff of the abattoir have had to put up with a lot of inconvenience but have done this happily in the knowledge that the end result could not be bettered. “It is unfortunate that Cr Manion should see fit to warn the people of Christchurch of conditions prevailing but failed to include all other people living in the metropolitan area, including his own county of Paparua, who

rely on the city abattoir,” he said. The people of metropolitan Christchurch should be very pleased with the statement by the chairman of the Paparua (bounty Council (Mr D. H. Warren) that the council had never been satisfied with the outside appearance, no matter what the inside was like. “It is also a bit irksome to have him state that his council is trying to do something about it, with words, when the City Council is actually doing this work, with money that has in actual fact been, and is being, supplied by the consumer. This includes Mr Warren and his councillors,” Cr Cowles said. “Realistic Figure” The figure of s2m to modernise the city abattoir was a realistic one, Cr L. P. Manion of the Paparua County Council, said yesterday. Cr Manion, who on Monday described the abattoir as “an abomination,” was commeting on a statement by the chairman of the Christchurch City Council works committee (Cr W. V. Cowles), that the cost of modernising the abattoir would be about s2m. “I am delighted to hear that members of the City Council are au fait with the situation,” said Cr Manion. He said that the term “a load of rubbish,” which was used by the managing director of the Canterbury ByProducts Company. Ltd (Mr A. R. Churchward), to describe Mr Manion’s original] statement about the abattoir] was equally applicable to the] abattoir itself.