Council role in job schemes?

Press, 28 November 1980, Page 20

Council role in job schemes?

The Christchurch City Council might become the interim banker for community groups seeking temporary Government job help but unable to pay workers immediately. Two projects seeking Labour Department job-crea-tion approval — one proposed by the Canterbury Environment Centre, the other by the Plunket Society — have already been approved by 'councillors, subject to policy and finance committee confirmation. Temporary finance needed to cover the first six-week period under such schemes is about $lOOO a worker. Few voluntary groups could afford that cost while waiting for Labour Department reimbursement, said the chairman of the comma-’

nity services committee, Cr D. J. Rowlands, but the council could. The City Council will also' tell the Labour Department that it is concerned about* the effects of the reimbursement policy. Two other groups have also asked the council for temporary banking help with job-creation projects. They are the Shirley Community Centre and the St Albans Residents’ Association. Their requests have* been referred to the chairman of the policy and finance committee. One problem with grant-* ing too many requests is that the council could not earn normal interest income on the money while it was being used for the loans.