LOCAL ELECTIONS Candidates’ messages

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33649, 26 September 1974, Page 12

LOCAL ELECTIONS Candidates’ messages

As a sitting member my opinion is that the board’s i most important function is i its jurisdiction over water, i The quality of life within the • city is directly related to the j quality of its water supply. 1 Beyond the city (including j the Estuary) all wildlife and aquatic life also depend on water quality. For this reason I regard the preservation and the improvement of the existing standards of water for our city and countryside as vital.

i was corn in cnristcnurcn and for the last nine years I' have lived with my wife and: two children at Marshwood: Place. I have been an active member of the Paparua; county Jaycees for three years and a half, and am keenly interested in communitv and local body affairs.' My first concern if 1 am elected would be to improve; ‘local facilities for both young: and old. I am employed as I i assistant service manager for ’ New Zealand Industrial Gases, and 1 have been a : registered electrician for 13 ; years.

I am proud to be the youngest member of the Citizens’ team. If elected 1 will endeavour to see all issues with an independent and open mind, and vote according to my conscience. I believe that youth has a lot to offer the community, especially if it is given the chance to lead. Greater co-operation with the council, and the reformation of the Christchurch Youth Council would allow the many young leaders in voluntary youth organisations in the city to come together to coordinate plans. 1 would place reading and works as a priority. Many areas in the Pegasus ward and in the city need urgent attention before any other large projects are started. Along with this, J would like to see the removal of the Bexley rubbish tip, greater improvements to the amenities and conditions of our foreshore areas and the landscaping and stabilisation of the banks along the Avon.

As a resident and ratepayer of the borough I offer my services to the people of Lyttelton and Diamond Harbour with the firm assurance that I will at all times endeavour to act in the best i interests of the people with ■ patience and enthusiasm. I believe it is essential to pro- ■ tect the natural assets of Lyttelton and to preserve the tranquility of Diamond Harbour. As a parent of a growing family I am concerned at the lack of recrea- ; tional facilities in the port i and am in favour of more I council involvement and supI port in these activities. Like I most residents in the : borough I am anxious to see ; a more positive approach to I the question of redeveloping ! the main business area and I would strenuously support the resiting of the library and Post Office. The question also of the medical centre is one of urgency. With the still unresolved question of amalgamation I believe it is necessary for the borough to be represented by a strong independent, progressive council, because the next three years could well be the most vital in its history.

The hospital board is one of the largest business enterprises in the South Island,, and must be run on thor-j oughly business-like lines,. . but it is important to have i one or two members repre-i senting the medical profession to act as liaison between the staff and lay members.; I am particularly interested in the prospect of enlarging hospital boards into regional health boards which would be responsible for all aspects jof health in the community. I have taken advantage of leave in the United Kingdom to study the workings of their regional health boards which have been in action .for the last 12 months. A rational approach to the problem of our long waiting lists could achieve better results. By medical vetting of the lists at regular intervals many ofj the names could be culled.' Regarding the building pro-; gramme, much can be learnt I from the clinical school,' which was built in a record. 22 months. I

The concern I feel most strongly is in the area of the visual environment. Whereas many of the most worth while contributions to Christchurch were made a century ago, in this century telegraph poles, greatly extended advertising, ugly "buildings and the motor-car have spoiled rather than beautified the city. We now have a tremendous range of colour in paints and building materials which we can use to our benefit. Unfortunately, however, uncoordinated use of colour has more often than not added to visual chaos. I believe we I must, therefore, use the un-| doubted skill of our archi-j tects. town planners and; landscape architects, together with modern techniques, to i encourage not only humane; and efficient surroundings, but also attractive and peace- i ful ones. I want people to be able to say that Christchurch is a good city because it has developed for people and not for the motor-car or commerce.

As a resident of our city: for almost 30 years. I ami naturally concerned with its continued development. The; management of a city such; as ours is a highly complex undertaking, requiring from those aspiring to local body office something more than a desire for competent civic administration. It is imperative that any group contem-l plating civic responsibility: have a proven record of sue-; cessful financial and adminis-l trative competence. I feel; that in your Citizens’ candi-; dates these requirements are shown. As an east ward can-; didate I press strongly for the development of Hansons; Park and a much-improved: appearance in the lower; Ferry Road area. The new! ward system will assist; greatly any ratepayers having communication difficulties! in dealing with these prob-; lems. Our impartial and non-; political background will! assist us. if elected, to work! for the mutual benefit of all! citizens.

i Because I live in the west ! ward and have lived all of ;my life in Christchurch, 1 ’ have a real interest in the administration of our city. We have a fine city developed and built up by i more than a century of dedicated service by many people, i It has concerned me, there-I fore, to see the lack of, responsibility shown by thel present Labour Council and i its mismanagement of city I affairs. I believe that to preserve our heritage and to ‘ continue our city’s progress we need sound administration and well-reasoned pro-' [gressive policies applicable to all sectors of our community., These are the soundly-based, policies outlined by Mr H. G, Hay and I am pleased to have ! been invited to join the 1 Citizens* team. i

I am standing for the .board because I believe that jthe recent flooding in the sub-district has proved that the policies of the Citizens’ dominated board have failed. I believe that many areas of ■the Waimairi sub-district I have been neglected. We ■still have many miles of open drains in the urban and rural areas. It has been proved that they are unable to cope with heavy rainfall and runoff. The three Citizens’ members live in the north-west of the sub-district and I feel that they have lost touch with the people they are supposed to represent, especially : the people living in the i Harewood, Marshland, Belfast land Papanui ridings. I am istanding because I believe the ratepayers and residents are entitled to a better deal land 1 am prepared to work Ito achieve this. I am 35, ;married with three children : and live in the Papanui riding.

1 am in a position to give ample time to local body I work. During the last three I year's I have attended 128 meetings of standing committees, 20 special subcommittees and every meeting of the full City Council. I am chairman of the works, and services’ committee and Deputy-Mayor, a member of the Town Hall Board of Management, the Regional Planning Authority and one of two City Council directors on the Canterbury Dairy Farmers’ Ltd. My attendance at committee and board meetings of the Harbour Board has been excellent. 1 believe that the Labour council, a blending of youth and experience, has been one of the best City Councils Christchurch has ever had, and I speak from a wealth of experience. Neville Pickering has been a hard - working, full time Mayor.