Riccarton rents to rise $2

Press, 25 May 1977, Page 6

Riccarton rents to rise $2

Rents for pensioner housing in the Riccarton Borough will increase by $2 a week, the Riccarton Borough Council decided last evening. The decision was made on a recommendation of the council’s finance and by-j laws committee after the matter had been referred to the committee for investigation from the last council meeting. Cr D. A. Anderson, chairman of the committee, said that last year receipts from rents for the borough’s pensioner housing amounted to about $lO,OOO.

It was estimated that, with the increase, the annual receipts would rise to about $13,000, and this would break even with the estimated cost of maintenance for the housing. The Mayor of Riccarton (Mr R. W. J. Harrington) said that he had spoken to many of the pensioners in the borough’s houses, and all had said they realised they were getting a good deal.

“Without hesitation, the pensioners in these cottages I have spoken to have all said that they do not think the $2 proposed increase is excessive,” Mr Harrington said.

“Even at $lO a week. the. rents would not be excessive. These pensioners have the best accommodation in the country and they knowi they are getting a good[ deal.”

The council also approved the introduction of blue

[plastic rubbish bags in the [borough for a trial period. Cr R. S. Lester, chairman of the works committee, recommending the introduction of the plastic bags, said that the borough was concerned about the cost of using paper rubbish bags, and manufacturers of the bags had given the borough an at tractive quotation.