Refuse cttee vote criticised by council

Press, 4 December 1981, Page 4

Refuse cttee vote criticised by council

Failing to vote according to her council's wishes at the Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee may have cost the Heathcote County Council representative, Cr M. C. C. Buchanan, her seat on the committee. Cr Buchanan was criticised by members of the council’s works and reserves committee last evening during a discussion about the refuse committee. One of the recommendations before the works committee was that the council’s representative be told to follow council policy when voting at the refuse committee. The committee’s chairwoman, Mrs M. J. Taylor, said she “noted with some concern" that Cr Buchanan had not voted according to the council’s wishes. “We really got some egg on our face when it was revealed that our representative nearly ruined the whole scheme," said Cr T. P. Wills. “It was embarrassing for members of the council there. We had sat there smugly." Cr Buchanan, who is not a member of the works committee, was out of Christchurch last evening and could not attend the meeting. "If Cr Buchanan feels that she cannot go along and vote according to our wishes, perhaps we should appoint someone else," Cr 0. T. Alpels said. It was decided not to include in the recommendation on voting an option offering Cr Buchanan the chance to resign if she could not follow council wishes.

"If we had that option in the recommendation it would be across ’The Press’ straight away," Cr Wills said. Instead it was decided that Mrs Taylor should discuss the situation with Cr Buchanan. Councillors also recommended that its representative follow council policy when voting at the refuse committee. Resource recovery Resource recovery at the Heathcote dump was not being “operated effectively," according to a letter read’to the committee. Mr B. J. Stevens, of Bunyan Street, wrote to the council saying that the holder of the recycling contract, Mr P. J. McGrath, should do the work at the dump himself. At the moment he employed parttime labour. Mr Stevens asked to be considered to do the work there if Mr McGrath's contract was not renewed. “We really have not any cause for complaint,” said Cr B. E. Sutherland. “The fact that Mr McGrath is not there himself is irrelevant." The County Engineer, Mr D. J. May said that Mr McGrath's contract w’as on a trial basis, subject to fees being paid, until March next year. "We are quite at liberty to write to Mr McGrath and say, ’Thank you. you are out of the dump’," he said. Councillors recommended that Mr May discuss with Mr McGrath the recycling work and report back to the next meeting of the committee.