MR W. E. WOODS ‘Feeling of neglect’ in electorate

Press, 20 November 1978, Page 15

MR W. E. WOODS ‘Feeling of neglect’ in electorate

Boundary changes in the Selwyn electorate have been to the advantage of Labour, and Mr Bill Woods, aged 36, a poultry farmer, is confident that a 90 per cent poll will be encough for him to unseat the sitting member and Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan).

During his campaigning, Mr Woods says, he has found a feeling among the electorate that the decision is not so much between the parties as be- | tween the candidates. Sevi eral townships in the electorate feel that their prob- ; lems have been neglected, I says Mr Woods, and many of’ the traditional National I supporters feel they are \ being taken for granted. “This is showing up i among many people of about my own age in tra- ■ ditional National areas such as Leeston, Southi bridge, and Malvern,” he I says.

“Every town has an individual problem of its own. Malvern is still looking for its sporting and cultural complex, there is a problem with stock water and irrigation, and there is support for the Rakaia power scheme and

irrigation system which Labour will reintroduce. “Rakaia itself has a big problem which could be Overcome by regional development assistance. There are a lot of frustra= ted businesses there which are not being encouraged to do their best. For in-

stance there is a manufacturer of aluminium boats in the township who could employ 25 people tomorrow to expand exports to Australia if only he could get some Government assistance and incentive to undertake the capital development,” says Mr Woods.

“And we are not talking about just agricultural products, as I thought it would have been until I went there, but certainly there are agricultural questions. The possibility of a sugar beet industry needs review because not only will it provide the primary product, sugar, but there will be a spinoff in liquid fuels.

“Leeston has another type of problem. There they have too much wafer. There is a drainage problem right through Ellesmere and Tai Tapu to the coast. A lot of money will have to be spent to overcome this and it will have

to come from the Government,” Mr Woods says. “It is not a question of whether we can afford to do it, but whether we can afford not to,” he says. “A special problem of Akaroa is that the fishermen there can work only four days a week because there is not the pro a cessing capability to handle a full week’s work. It is Labour policy to encourage on-shore facilities in places such as Akaroa so the local fishing fleet can work to capacity and expand. “A common problem among the people in the high country in the electorate is that they cannot get any television reception. They have been trying to get some satisfaction ever since television transmission began in the South Island but hare been getting nowhere “In Templeton and Halswell the problems are much the same as the rest

of metropolitan Christchurch — unemployment, lack of job security, high interest rates on mortgages and so on,” says Mr Woods. Having identified what he. sees as the problems. Mr Woods is confident that he will be given a

chance to rectify them "Really, Selwyn is one of the most marginal seats. In much of the most populous area of the electorate both myself and Mr McLachlan are new to the electors. The boundary changes have put Halsweil and Oaklands, which were in Wigram, into the Selwyn electorate and there is a pool of 3000 Labour votes in that area alone.” Mr Woods says that Labour Party strength anf organisation have im' proved dramatically in th* last three years, and that 80 per cent of the built-up area of the electorate ha! been canvassed by hirt and his team. "It is true that in some places the name of theparty is not popular; the people are traditionally National, but I am knowr from my 15 years as > Labour supporter and i person with a genuine interest in the electorate.’ he says.