Refuse scheme change supported

Press, 1 February 1983, Page 6

Refuse scheme change supported

The metropolitan refuse scheme cleared another hurdle yesterday when the Paparua County Council’s finance committee voted in support of it. The new package proposed by the Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee includes completion of the building programme within two years. It was previously intended to spread the building over four years. The council’s representative on the committee. Cr E. C. Britnell. said that the revised plan would cost $9.1 million and that to finance it from revenue would be out of the question. Instead, it was proposed to raise $7.2 million by a sixyear loan, with the balance coming from revenue. Paparua’s share of the schemes total cost was $860,000. to be divided between the district and community councils, he said. ■ Cr Britnell estimated that the new plan would save the county about $ll,OOO a year, assuming that the scheme would be self-supporting by

the 1990 s and that the userpays policy held. tn the interim, the cost to the council would amount to a charge of $125 on each property in the county, or $2l a year for six years. He said that the City Council. the Waimairi District Council and the Riccarton and Heathcote Borough Councils all favoured the two-year plan. Paparua would be "out of step with everyone else" if it did not. The committee chairman, Mr W. J. Baker, said that he supported the recommendation wholeheartedly. The county’s levy was “peanuts" compared with the total cost of the scheme, he said. "I would have thought that it would have been a lot higher." Cr G. L. Muir said that the council had been faced with a number of programmes. "I hope that this is not going to be another one which is delayed and that we will not have to put our hands into our pockets again." he said. The.. committee recommended that the package be

adopted by the council. “We are not legally bound to because it is a whole new ball game." Mr Baker said, "but what else can we do." Surplus income With income almost $52,000 more than estimated, the council is gearing itself for a spending spree. The money will probably be credited to its property purchase account. The council has received $57,774 from the Ministry of Transport for licence fees, while the annual budget anticipated receipts of only $6300. The amount payable to the council was raised in 1982, from 50c a year to $2.50 on each licence. The County Clerk. Mr B. L. Mooar, put six proposals to the committee which might be paid for entirely or in part by the surplus revenue. The list included a computer or a new photocopier for the council office, property investment, the further development of the Cultural Centre at. Hornby, and the establishment of an adult library at Sockburn.

Another suggestion was for the council to start a mobile library service. The county librarian. Mr K. Ocock. said that a small mobile librarybased in a campervan would give better service to rural communities and make fuller use of the council's book collection. Mr Mooar estimated that it would cost about $30,000 to put a van on the road, and between $15,000 and $20,000 a year to run the service. Cr A. Y.,.Shuker said that everyone "had his hooks into” the money. He had originally raised the idea of establishing a mobile library, but said that the continuing cost of it frightened him. "It is not a oncer." he told the committee. Direct crediting Council tenants may soon be able to direct-credit rent through their banks. Mr Mooar recommended that the service be introduced after a survey of 96 tenants found that 84 per cent of them favoured the facility. Those tenants who

prefered to pay their rents at the council's office would be able to do so. but new tenants will be asked to arrange their rents to be direct-credited. To ensure that some contact is maintained between council staff and council tenants, regular visits will be organised. Cultural Centre Iron grills might be fitted to the sky domes in the roof of the Hornby Cultural Centre to improve security. The county's chief building inspector, Mr T. J. Bridges, recommended the grills after the shop in the centre was broken into. The trespasser gained entry by removing the sky dome and dropping to the floor. Mr Bridges said that the incident had shown “a grave weakness" in the security precautions for the Countv Library, which also had sky domes. The work could cost an estimated $lOOO, he told the committee. The recommendation was approved.