Councillors to glow with civic pride

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33964, 3 October 1975, Page 1

Councillors to glow with civic pride

Some Christchurch city councillors will wear glowing orange jerkins in Cathedral Square on Monday to mark the opening of “No Litter Month.”

Members of the City Council’s health and general committee will be in the Square from noon to 2 p.m., with “Stamp Out Litterbugs, Don’t Rubbish New Zealand” printed on their jerkins. Along with members of the Civic Pride Committee, they will hand out lapel stickers, car litter-bags, and anti-litter brochures. The chairman of the health and general committee (Cr N. Dodge) wore one of the distinctive jerkins throughout a meeting yesterday.

“Oh, my God!” exclaimed a startled woman as she stepped into the committee room and saw the strange apparel. “Excuse me,” Cr Dodge quipped, “we’re in a public place.” During the official opening, all bags of litter collected from the Square during the previous week will be displayed. Choirs from two schools will sing anti-litter songs, and some children will carry out a litter chase.

Earlier in the day, the Civic Pride Committee and City, Health Department will' hold an anti-litter seminar for primary school children.

Anti-litter activities are actually scheduled to start on Saturday, when about 300 community and youth groups will help clean neighbourhoods, parks and river banks.

On Sunday, any domestic rubbish may be dumped free at the Breezes Road tip from 9 aan. to 4 p.m. The pros and cons of hiring a full-time, uniformed city litter officer will be investigated this month by the Chief City Health Inspector. Cr Dodge said such an officer could educate the public and enforce litter laws; but there is some doubt about how much enforcement power the officer would have under present laws.