Oh well, back to sewerage...

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34104, 17 March 1976, Page 1

Oh well, back to sewerage...

The Christchurch Drainage Board briefly abandoned its traditional role yesterday to discuss the public morals of the city.

Towards the end of its monthly meeting, a board member, Mr J. de C, Hanafin, introduced a motion calling on the board to write to its local member ot Parliament seeking support to halt the establishment of massage parlours, sex shops and similar businesses in Christchurch. “I’ve lived in Christchurch all my life and this

sort of thing has never happened here before,” said Mr Hanafin. “We’ve got these pornographic shops, massage parlours, etc., opening up all over the place. “I’m very concerned about this. I’ve seen what these sorts of establishments have done in cities overseas and I certainly would not like to see that here. We must put a stop to it.”

Mr Hanafin said that all local authorities and the public should write to their members of Parliament to ask that something be done. He said that the authority responsible for licensing places such as massage parlours could perhaps increase the licence fee so much as to force these businesses to close.

To a question from Mr Newton Dodge, the chairman of the board (Mr M. R. Carter) said that he was prepared to accept the motion. But another board member, Mr P. W. Anderson, objected.

“We are not here to judge or to be the guardians of the morals of the community,” he said. “We are here to discuss drainage, stormwater and sewerage, and we should

stick to our Job. I object that this motion should be on the table at all.”

The secretary to the board (Mr M. J. Horne) said that under standing orders, a motion on new business could not be introduced at the meeting if there was a dissenting voice. The motion lapsed.