No P.R. now for refuse scheme

Press, 28 August 1980, Page 4

No P.R. now for refuse scheme

Proposals to hire a public relations firm to promote greater acceptance of the Christchurch Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Scheme have been shelved. Sir Terence McCombs, a metropolitan committee member and chairman of a sub-committee set up to look at the possibility of hiring P.R. consultants, said yesterday that the move had been put off after legal advice that it could be held to prejudice planning hearings over the proposed Waimairi coastal landfill and Redwood transfer station sites. Sir Terence said two Christchurch P.R. firms had been approached by the committee. It had envisaged a “generalised” publicity campaign explaining various aspects of the refuse scheme. 1

The committee had beep advised to consider the exer* else again with the opening of the western transfer sta< tion in Haytons Road, schetk uled for June next year, Sill ' Terence said. ’ gHe suggested that the publicity officers employed by both the Christchurch City and Waimairi County councils might be used for publicising the metropolitan scheme. At this week’s meeting of the committee, news media: coverage of the scheme was attacked as being one-sided, in favour of critics. Members felt that thd public should be made more' aware of the scheme’s detailed proposals, particularly over the planned land-i fill area, which were made public in an environmental report in 1977.