Chathams still wait

Press, 4 August 1976, Page 28

Chathams still wait

Parliamentary Reporter Wellington Residents of the Chatham Islands are still waiting to see how, if at all, the change of Government in November last year will change their lives. The previous government was committed to — and had approved — a new housing policy for the Chathams, and also a new aerodrome with a sealed runway at the opposite end of the island from the present aerodrome. Both decisions are again under review, and the Government has asked all the departments involved to reassess these decisions, and report back. There is not much doubt that the aerodrome decision will be confirmed eventually. The present grass strip is 36 miles from the main population centre at Waitangi, while the proposed sealed strip is only 12 miles away, at Karewa Point. But when the Government will authorise expenditure for the work is another matter.

The situation over housing is less clear. The Labour Government was committed to a policy of State rental housing, on the Chatham Islands, but as the present

Government has indicated it wants to move away from this on the mainland it is not tnought likely to authorise it for the Chathams. On the other hand, something is needed to stimulate building on the Chathams. There are qualified builders there, but they can usually earn a better living from fishing, and the delays in getting materials from the mainland to the Chathams have discouraged building initiative down the years.

If the Government could somehow streamline the provision of building materials so that unnecessary delays do not continually occur, then that might be sufficient to fulful its obligations to the Chatham islanders to provide ‘'equivalent facilities” to those elsewhere in New Zealand. It is not thought likely that the Government will make a final decision on either matter in the near future.