A footwear factory for Amberley

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33675, 26 October 1974, Page 2

A footwear factory for Amberley

A rubber company wishing to establish a new industry has been given approval to use a building in Amberley.

Marathon Rubber Footwear, Ltd, a subsidiary of Skellerup Industries, Ltd, has been given permission by the Ashley County Council to use the Amberley Returned Services’ Association’s building for a rubber footwear sew-! ing plant.

The use of the building has a three-year time limit. The personnel manager of the company (Mr M. Clements) said tnat difficulties m recruiting and retaining capable machinists had been found at the company’s factory in Woolston, Christchurch. The company investigated the possibility of setting up small workrooms in other suburbs and in towns near Christchurch where a more stable and capable workforce was available.

No suitable premises existed for such a plant, zoned commercial in the proposed’ district scheme. The company had the choice of only two properties in Amberley which would be suitable for the use envisaged: the R.S.A, hall on the main road, and the Anglican Church hall in Church Street.

As objections had been received to the use of the church hall, the company did not wish to proceed with the application for those premises.

Eight women will be employed for a start, increasing to about 16 within three or four weeks. If the plant proves successful, the company will establish itself permanently tn Amberley, and possibly acquire or build its own premises.

The workroom is expected to produce little noise or nuisance to neighbours, such as smell, smoke, or pollution. For the company, Mr P. J. Cordner submitted to the council that the application was in the public interest, and would have little planning significance. It was expected that it would take three years for the experiment to prove its worth.

The council’s town and country planning adviser (Mr I. D. Dalton) recommended

that the application be approved, having regard to the temporary nature of the tenure of the building, and a time limit being imposed. His recommendation was adopted, subject to the three-year limit.

Consultants’ visit.—Two Swedish consultants would visit New Zealand in November to advise on measures to improve Lake Rotdrua, the Minister for the Environment (Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan) said yesterday. The lake is suffering from “eutrophication," or over-fertilisation. —(P.A.)