Cemetery to have no headstones

Press, 19 July 1979, Page 4

Cemetery to have no headstones

Waimairi County Council has decided on a cemetery without headstones for Avonhead.

The decision by the council last evening ends seven years of discussion on the fitness of a cemetery’s doubling as a park.

The county chairman, Mr D. B. Rich, said the new cemetery would probably not open for two years, and that its success would be reviewed after a trial period. The proposed cemetery will have no markers above ground; a metal detector will locate a metal tag under the ground. The Christchurch branch of the Monumental Masons’ Association says it was deliberately consulted late, and that the Avonhead Park Cemetery removed a person’s basic right to choose whether to mark a grave above ground. The county engineer (Mr A. J. Lamb) said in a report that another cemetery with headstones could be opened almost immediately, but that there was still three years of life left in the present cemetery at Grahams Road. Litter Bill

Councillors reacted strongly to “deprecating remarks” made by the Under-Secretary to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Comber), who had said the council was “extravagant” in its assertions that local bodies did not have time to consider and make submissions on draft legislation, particularly the Litter Bill, for which the council said it had only seven days.

“It is notable that we have received no personal acknowledgment from Mr Comber, but that he has chosen to answer the charge through

the news media,” said Mr Rich. “We also have ample means of bringing the public’s attention to the Government’s wretched handling of these bills.”

Local bodies needed at least three months to assess and prepare adequately submissions on draft legislation, he said. Interest

Cr W. T. Rice has written to the Regional Director of the Audit Department asking why the county is not giving its water ratepayers “a fair share” of interest on their accounts.

He said it was a "matter of principle” that interest earned by a special watersupply renewal account should go to that account, and not to the General Account, where most goes at present.

In his letter, Cr Rice said that because the account was funded entirely by water ratepayers, it amounted to “misappropriation of funds” to withhold from them a fair and reasonable share of interest due.

Cr Rich said it was "inflammatory, inappropriate, and inaccurate” to say the council was misappropriating funds. Interest credited to the General Account gave the council flexibility to put money where it was most needed. Cr Rice said that while full interest was not coming to water ratepayers through the special account, general ratepayers were benefiting, particularly those rural ratepayers who paid no water rate.

Levy payment

Cr I. Calvert said the Canterbury Promotion Council had no right to dictate to the council the levy it should pay. The Promotion Council’s constitution stipulates that Christchurch, Paparua, and Waimairi each pay 12c per head of population. The council has decided to pay 10c.

Cr I. G. Lyons said the Promotion Council was entitled to have rules but the rules would have to be changed. Cr R. W. Skjellerup said the Promotion Council did not demand that the council pay 12c, but would like it to raise its levy. The council rejected finding the balance from its grants account, and decided to negotiate for an amendment to the constitution. Runway extension The council will object to the proposed north-eastern extension to the north-south runway at Christchurch Airport. The Christchurch City Council has served a requirement for a public work designation there. Cr Calvert said the extension would close Harewood Road west of Johns Road. Alternatives such as an underpass, or extensions to both ends of the runway had not been fully explored. If Harewood Road was closed the council would have to spend a lot of money upgrading Sawyers Arms Road to take diversion traffic.