Mayor of Lyttelton chairs last meeting

Press, 5 October 1977, Page 29

Mayor of Lyttelton chairs last meeting

The man who has been the Mayor of Lyttelton for 18 years, Mr J. B. Collett, hung up his chain of office for the last time on Monday night. An energetic and articulate campaigner for . Lyttelton’s interests since he first took his place at the council table 22 years ago, he has decided not to seek re-election at next week’s local-body polls. Mr Collett’s retirement comes at the end of probably his most hectic term. In the last 12 months he has travelled to Wellington on numerous occasions petitioning against the withdrawal of the Rangatira, lending the Lyttelton Harbour Board support in its fight to prevent the premature allocation of a third container crane to Otago, and protesting loudly against proposed increases in tunnel tolls. Mr Collett told the meeting last evening that he recalled the words of a former Minister of Internal Affairs who attended Lyttelton’s centennial dinner in 1950. “He told me you couldn’t expect thanks in the rough and tumble of local-body politics. You are only left with the personal satisfac-

tion of knowing you have accomplished something.” As something of an elder statesman in local-body politics, Mr Collett was until last week the president of the South Island Local Bodies Association. He remains a member of the Christchurch - Lyttelton Road Tunnel Authority. Bom in the port and educated at Lyttelton Main School and Christchurch Boy’s High, Mr Collett will continue his association with the port through his pharmacy business.