Uncertainty over plant

Press, 20 January 1982, Page 1

Uncertainty over plant

Uncertainty still surrounds the proposed $6 million Chaneys waste treatment plant. It is thought that the biggest discharger to the plant, the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, has had misgivings about the Christchurch Drainage Board project, which has been troubled by financial setbacks and disagreement over costs. Board members went into committee at a special meeting last evening to discuss a confidential letter from C.F.M. One board member. Mr J. F. Davidson, later said that another meeting was still needed. Otherwise, board members followed the example of their chairman. Mr C. H. Russell, who said: "In the words of Mr Muldoon — no comment."

The company's general manager. Mr J. J. Drayton, said last evening that C.F.M. was concerned about the high capital and running costs of the plant, which could place a financial strain on its Belfast works.

"We are reassessing our options." he said. Mr Drayton said that he probably would not be able to comment further until after the next board meeting.

A motion from a Labour member, Mr Davidson, to withhold parts of the C.F.M. letter and ifake the rest in open meeting was defeated by seven votes to five. Mr Davidson said that the plant had aroused widespread interest, and public discussion would stop rumours which had been "flying round" the citv.

“It was a very hot meeting," he said.

Before the board went into committee Labour board members spent several minutes defending their published comments made before the meeting, until Mr Russell ruled that statements made to the news media had not breached standing orders.

The Chaneys plant has been planned to treat waste from four industries which discharge their effluent into the Waimakariri River.