Grant priorities may be altered

Press, 16 February 1978, Page 7

Grant priorities may be altered

The Christchurch City Council’s method of allocating grant money might be changed this year. Block funding might be set aside when the annual budget is approved in May, and organisations would apply for specific grants later in the year.

mended by the policy and finance committee. Block votes might be made for cultural, recreational and welfare activities.

In recent years, grants have taken up much of the debate time at annual estimates meetings. Sir Robert Macfarlane said it had become “a horse-trading procedure,” and that every councillor was subject to pressures from groups to have their recommended grants increased.

He predicted that the annual “wants list” from city groups would rise 50 per cent this year because of hard economic times. The committee’s chairman

(Cr N. G. Hattaway) agreed that “large items of expenditure have virtually been ignored” while grants were debated. He said the new system should change that.

Some councillors suggested that this year could be one for hard decisions on traditional grants. The Town Clerk (Mr J. H. Gray) agreed that 1978 welfare needs "may be higher than other highly desirable areas, but maybe they are not so essential in people terms.”

The tendency had been for traditional recipients of large grants to get similar amounts year after year. “With all the best will in the world, there is not much left over for other groups,” he said. Different priorities could emerge this year. “It could be quite a lengthy exercise,” Mr Gray added. “Perhaps we should go back to square one, and give all organisations an equal chance.”