Tip price rises concern council

Press, 10 April 1980, Page 6

Tip price rises concern council

The possibility that people would dump their rubbish on the side of the street instead of in a council tip was raised at the meeting last evening! of the Paparua County Council. Crs A. Y. Shuker and W. J. Baker expressed concern about the Waimairi County Council’s proposed charge in-! creases for dumping in its tip, which would double what is being paid now by the Paparua County, whichuses the tip. Cr Shuker said that the Paparua Council had agreed to use the Waimairi tip at the suggestion of the Waimairi County Council, in order to help fill it before the -new transfer stations open. ■ “If this becomes fact let’s open up a pit in oiir own area,” Cr Shuker said. ? Cr Baker said, “If . we accept this price rise, what will it be by the time the transfer stations ooen in 12 months?” He said the $4 a tonne jump in dumping price was jus&too much.. ’ If charges went up simi-

larly for smaller loads of) rubbish, people would not be able to afford it and therefore the council would be encouraging them to break the law, he said. The present charge for a trailer load of rubbish at the Waimairi pit is $1.50. Cr E. C. Britnell, who is| (the council’s representative on the Metropolitan Refuse Committee, said that he thought it was unfair of coun[cil members to blame the Waimairi council for the increases. They were in line with the metropolitan committee’s policy to make the transfer stations self-1 supporting, and the charges were being put up gradually so that there would not be a big jump when the stations •opened. If the users did-not' pav the ratepayer would, he | said. • -I However,' Crs Baker and Shuker were not convinced. Cr Baker said that if such high charges were needed, the refuse scheme must be too lavish.- ,-.-,'■ ’ “I can't see that these costs

are needed unless the station! will employ a lot of little; gentlemen sitting on stools; all the way up,” Cr Baker said. i Cr Britnell was asked to, prepare a full report'on the; matter for next month’s! meeting. Hall levy Prebbleton residents have been unlucky in their attempt to get the council to impose! a $6 a head levy for the next: five years to pay for hall renovations. The renovations, which' [were completed about five! years ago, cost $43,000, $20,000 of which had been raised by the hall committee. . According to Cr O. Monro, the committee had [worked very hard to overIcome the deficit, but had been overtaken by circumstances, and she asked that the council take heed of their petition for the levy, which had been signed by 64 per cent of the residents in the Prebbleton: riding,.

When the hall committee! i authorised the renovations, the hall was running profitable housie evenings, but liquor legislation changed, and with hotels remaining open in the evenings, this revenue dropped substantially. Several councillors spoke against levying the Prebbleton ratepayers, saying that they took little account of petitions, and doubted whether the signers agreed ’with them. They also felt that [the move would set a preI cedent, and every hall com- [ mittee in the country would i come running to the council for this kind of help. The motion to levy the Prebbleton riding was narrowly lost. ' Road to close The council approved the closing of Springs Road and. Tancreds Road during the World Ploughing Champion- . ship finals in May. Tancreds , Road will be closed on May 16, and both roads will be

closed on May 17, froffr 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. -Y Cr A. Y.. Shuker said the ploughing would be done on one side of Springs Road. “Static displays and liquid refreshments” would be offered on the other side. He felt that, because of this arrangement, it would bfe wise to acceed to the World Ploughing Championships and close Springs Road bn May 17. The council has agreed with the Ministry of Trans* port's recommendation ;to change the stop signs at the intersection of ' Buchanans .Road and Pound ROad from Pound Road, where they are now; to Buchanans Road. The council has been con* cemed for some time about the number of accidents, at the intersection. The Rural District Council .of the Paparua County Council will consider in Mdy» whether it can afford the ; change, which will involve ■ some minor realignment ’of ! the .intersection.