Information post in the offing

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 6

Information post in the offing

The Christchurch City! Council will probably employ an information officer, paid' for from the $17,250 originally intended for the Canter-j bury Public Relations Office The new post was recommended yesterday by the council’s policy and finance committee — epding a month of the counQi’s talking about setting up fts own public relations ©vision. The committee said a $2OOO grant should be made imme-. diately to the Canterbury Progress League to help it cary on as a provincial pressure group, but none of that monev should be used for, the Public Relations Office. ■ In addition, the Christ-i church Convention Bureau should seek financial aid through the Christchurch Town Hall Board of Manasenent. because is was largely' started from that direction.' Talks about the future nerser of Canterbury public plat ions functions are in I nbo because the Progress I ‘ague and Convention bureau cannot agree.

1 Councillors emphasised' that t>St an information officer’x job would be different from that of a public rela-j ( tlons officer. Such a post has; ■ been mooted since 1973, but; put off twice because a. source of money was not apparent. “This proposal has been' about for some time.” said Cr D. F. Caygill. “The appointment is long overdue.” Cr Caygill said the coun[cill should communicate more effectively with the ratepayers. and more often. But' it would be a specialist task.' The job would include! editing and preparing council publications; setting up ex-| hibits; co-ordinating information outlets and referral centres; giving talks to! schools and interest groups: and giving public relations advice to council project j teams working on new pro-! posals. One of the functions would, be to seek more public participation in planning pro- ' jects. I