Provincial Buildings Promotion Team

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32396, 8 September 1970, Page 24

Provincial Buildings Promotion Team

A committee to promote and co-ordinate plans to create greater public interest in, and informal use of, the Canterbury Provincial Buildings was inaugurated yesterday.

The committee will consist of representatives from the New Zealand Institute of Architects, Historic Places Trust, Townswomen’s Guilds, Christchurch Civic Trust, Canterbury Pilgrims’ and Early Settlers’ Association, South Island Promotion Association, the Tourist Department and ; three members of the Provincial Buildings Board. The committee has been given power to co-opt more members. It will hold its first meeting on October 5, when it will elect officers and consider terms of reference to be drawn up by a sub-com-mittee in the meantime. The meeting yesterday was called after a special meeting convened by the executive of the board on July 27, and attended by interested organisations.

Aware of Demand The chairman of the board,

Mr M. A. Connelly, M.P., who presided at yesterday’s meeting, said the board wished to delegate some of its responsibilities to the proposed committee, and therefore the committee would be established in association with the board. It was not his intention that the committee chairman should be himself or an executive member of the board, but rather that the chairman should come from an outside organisation.

“The board has been aware of the demand that the Provincial Buildings be more available for use by the public, and that a live community interest ■ be established in the buildings," Mr Connelly eaid. “A committee consisting of representatives of organisations interested in the Provincial Buildings to foster more public interest is the way in which it is felt that this could be achieved.” Panel of Guides He said that it had been agreed that a panel of trained, volunteer guides should be be set up: that a booklet on the buildings should be printed and pamphlets published, and that the buildings should be. if possible, open to the public more on

holidays and at week-ends. Mr Connelly said that the following organisations, “with an economic interest in tourism,” had been invited to yesterday’s meeting: New Zealand Railways, Road Services, bus companies, Air New Zealand, N.A.C., Mount Cook Airlines, travel agencies and the Canterbury Hotel Association. None of these organisations had sent representatives.

A spokesman for the Tourist Department said that Americans were very interested in historic buildings. Christchurch was just a tourist stop-over, but Americans were coming to New Zealand in larger parties. Space for parking two coaches outside the Provincial Buildings was required between 9 a.m. and noon and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. He said the Tourist Department wanted the Provincial Buildings to be open when tourist parties wished to visit them. The department would not want guides, as the driver-couriers were expert guides.