$4M ‘farm’ approved

Press, 20 October 1981, Page 6

$4M ‘farm’ approved

A planned $4 million Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries research farm and headquarters near Lincoln has been approved by the Ellesmere County Council. The County Council yesterday approved a requirement designating the land for use as a Ministry research station.

The land has frontages on to Ellesmere Junction Road, Springs Road, and Boundary Road, Lincoln.

The Ministry of Works and Development issued a requirement for the land in July. Mr P. Lovell, a planning officer for the Ministry, has told the council that the research centre was designed to study hill-country farming and irrigation. At the moment scientists worked in various small research stations, and this was unsatisfactory, he said. The site was good, said Mr Lovell, because it was close

to Lincoln College and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Four single-storey buildings, garages, and goods stores will be built on the stie. Construction will start in 1983 and will take four years.

The council has stipulated several conditions to go with the use of the land as a research station.

It wants the Ministry of Agriculture to pay an annual charge to help maintain the Lincoln sewage treatment plant, as well as a capital contribution towards improving the plant. It also wants land to be provided at the junction of Springs Road and Ellesmere Junction Road in case road improvements are needed there. . - Video machines

Video machines in a Rolleston shop are annoying

some residents, councillors were told.

Noise was coming from the shop until 1 a.m. and cars also made a lot of noise in the area.

“It is getting beyond a joke. Cars are coming and going, and there is noise from the amusement parlour,” said Cr W. T. Simpson. “The person serving you can hardly hear what you order,” said Mr W. E. Walker, the county chairman. He suggested that poor town planning, with three roads intersecting near the shop, had caused some of the trouble. The council decided to study the matter. Long service Mr Walker has been chairman for the last ISVs years, and is the county’s longestserving chairman. He was elected to the council in 1953. In 1959 he was elected deputy chairman, and he was

elected county chairman in 1963. Welcome signs ' Signs to welcome travellers to Ellesmere county may be erected as a result of a suggestion from a county resident. Mrs J. E. Hurford submitted a design of a sign which she suggested be erected at the Leeston turn-off near the Rakaia bridge. > She also suggested that trees be planted along a stretch of road near the proposed sign.

But some councillors said that the ground in the area would be too dry for anything but pine trees.

“The National Roads Board ripped down the last sign to Leeston and told us where to get off,’’.said Mr Walker.

The council decided to ask the board about its attitude to a “Welcome to Ellesmere county” sign.