Councillor off sub-committee

Press, 27 February 1981, Page 4

Councillor off sub-committee

A disagreement over the use of the Labour Department’s Project Employment Programme has led a Heathcote County councillor to resign from the councils staffing sub-committee, ’.Cr J. 7 Richardson tabled his resignation at a meeting of the Heathcote County Council last evening, saying that several issues had led to his decision. He’said he could not agree with a proposal to use P.E.P. labour to extend a toilet block at the Lansdowne Community Centre. The money for the project had been included in last year’s estimates. “Nobody can tell me it will take two carpenters six months to build a toilet block,” he said. The P.E.P. scheme was valuable, and the council would jeopardise it by using it for such work. The County Chairman (Mr W. M. Hindmarsh) said he believed that the project came within the criteria of the Labour Department scheme. The council would submit the scheme, and the department would decide whether to approve it. Cr T. P. Wills said that the council had allowed'

$BOOO last year for materials for the toilet block, and was relying on having labour from a Labour Department scheme. As long as the council did not endanger the work of its permanent staff, it should use the P.E.P. scheme.

The meeting decided that the application for P.E.P. labour should go forward, although Cr Richardson asked for his opposition to be recorded in the minutes.

He gave notice of intention to move at the next council meeting that the council keep within the conditions laid down in the) scheme.

Cr R. Simcock was elected to replace Cr Richardson on the staffing sub-committee.