Malvern-Ellesmere ties may grow

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33655, 3 October 1974, Page 3

Malvern-Ellesmere ties may grow

Although no major issues face electors in the neighbouring counties of Ellesmere and Malvern, their new councils will be likely to continue discussions on amalgamation, in which the old councils saw advantages. Both now share such serj vices as water-races and I hydatids control. There will be at least six new councillors on the 13member Ellesmere County Council because of retirement. Elections are needed in four of the seven ridings, and for the Leeston and Southbridge county town committees. One new councillor will be Mr W. Heslop. He takes the place of Mr W. F. Reese, who has retired as one of the two Southbridge rural riding members. Mr Heslop and the other sitting member, Mr P. J. Abbott, have been returned unopposed. Another newcomer is Mr J. S. Free, who has succeeded to the Leeston town riding seat on the retirement of Mr G. A. H. Atkinson. The sitting councillor, Mr D. H. Goulden, has been re-elected to the Soutbridge town seat. The most interest in the i contested ridings is at : Greenpark, where four candidates will stand for the • )two seats vacated by the reiltirment of Messrs E. J. Stal- ■ iker and T. F. Carter, veter!ans with a total of perhaps • | 50 years of service apiece on v—ious local bodies. The candidates include iMrs L. R. K. Ives, who

I might well be the first woman councillor, and Messrs F. H. Eggleston, G. Meijer, and L. W. J. Woods. All are well known, but Mr Meijer must have a good chance. A plant technician at Lincoln College, he has been prominent in the Lincoln environmental plan, and in local affairs. Five candidates offer for the three Irwell seats. They include the sitting members, the county chairman, Mr W. E. Walker; his deputy, Mr H. G. Stephens; and Mr R. L. E. Skilling. Their opponents, also farmers, are Messrs C. A. Cooper and N. H. Hawkins. Mr T. W. Baker has retired as one of the two Springston members. The contest is between the other councillor, Mr R. H. D. Hudson, and Messrs N. J. Brown and P. D. Mortlock. At Rakaia, Mr G. C. Robinson has retired, leaving the other councillor, Mr L. H. Johnson, and Messrs J. J. Brownlee, B. A. Carpenter, and K. R. Taylor to contest the two seats. There are nine candidates for the six Leeston County (Town Committee seats, ini eluding Mrs J. A. Cochrane. ! seven men will contest the These candidates are all well I known in their communities, (and voting will be on a personal basis. Elections are needed in: ionly two of the Malvern: ! County’s six ridings, and for J (the Darfield County Town, Committee, with eight nominations for the six seats. | Darfield’s rapid growth gives the committee a real job to do. i The two Hawkins riding

council seats will be contested by the sitting members, Mr C. O. Redfern, the county chairman, and Mr 8.l E. Jarman, and another farmer, Mr D. C. McCausland, of Kimberley. There is a three-way election for the two Homebush seats between the sitting members, Messrs D. W. Mulholland and G. E. J. Hutton, and Mr A. D. Scott, Waddington. New councillors, elected unopposed, are Mr J. R. Inch (Selwyn) and i. P. Chamberlain (Courtenay), who have taken over on the retirement of Messrs W. H. Oliver and B. G. Begg. The boards Elections are not necessary for the Malvern and Ellesmere seats on the Catchment Board and the Hospital Board, or for the Malvern seats on the Central Canterbury Electric Power Board, where sitting members are re-elected unopposed. There is a Harbour Board election for the same candidates in both counties. The sitting members, Messrs R. H. Bedford and G. E. Wright, both well-known farmers, are opposed by Mr R. C. Mitchell, a teacher at the Christchurch Technical Institute. Three candidates seek the two Ellesmere power board seats — Mr L. F. Chamberlain, the board’s chairman; Mr H. D. Baylis, a Leeston garage proprietor; and Mr J. Johnstone, an engineer, of Lincoln College, who lives at Springston and has stood for the board before. The other I sitting member, Mr T. F. (Carter, has retired.