Civic Trust says Minister evasive

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32640, 23 June 1971, Page 22

Civic Trust says Minister evasive

The Minister of Education (Mr Taiboys) was again criticised for evasion by the Christchurch Civic Trust when its board of management

Mr Taiboys had repeated his earlier statement that

any method of strengthening the Normal School would not only cost more than $lOO,OOO but would be unsuccessful, and once again had ignored the trust’s request for the engineering data on which these conclusions were based.

Buildings such as the Normal School were part of the character of Christchurch, said Mr A. C. Brassington. Take them all away, and the city would become just another place on the map. - The trust formed a committee to discuss the matter with Mr B. G. Barclay, M.P. for Christchurch Central, with a view to having a question asked in Parliament. It was the first meeting of a new board of management since the recent annual meeting, and the board decided to give first priority to seeking modification of the Christchurch City Council’s plans for Cathedral Square, and second priority to the restoration of the Peacock fountain.

Mr I. G. B. Wilson was elected chairman of the trust, in succession to Mr John Oakley who had already served the maximum term permitted under the trust constitution. Mr D. J. Hewitt was unopposed as vice-chair-man.