Paparua says no to Halswell land

Press, 23 September 1983, Page 4

Paparua says no to Halswell land

The Paparua County Council will not tender for land in Halswell which could have been used as a council sports ground.

The council’s reserves committee agreed last evening that the land, which has a Government valuation of $lOB,OOO, was not worth buying. Its decision not to buy the land was unanimous. The 2ha site near Wales Street had been bought by the Government to accommodate primary school buildings, but it is no longer needed and will be sold or leased by the Lands and Survey Department. The County Engineer, Mr J. D. Annan, told the committee that one full-size football field or three junior fields could occupy the site. There was demand in Halswell for more sports fields, he said.

Mr Annan recommended that the council either place a tender for the land or negotiate privately with the department to buy it.

Cr A. Y. Shuker described the land as “a piece of dirt” and said the council should not attempt to buy it. “It is just a waste of money,” he said. “It is not just the cost of purchasing it. We will have to pay to develop and continually maintain it.”

In answer to a question by Cr Shuker, Mr Annan said it would cost the council “thousands of dollars” annually to maintain the land.

The County Chairman, Mr J. Y. Pethig, suggested that the council negotiate with the department in an attempt to buy the land

cheaply. But he said the council could not justify buying the land at the Government valuation.

“If we can get it for half or maybe a third of the price maybe we could have a better look at it,” Mr Pethig said. Cr D. E. McCrae said he doubted that the department would be willing to sell the land for less than $lOO,OOO. He opposed the council’s buying it. The committee’s chairman, Cr C. J. J. Adlam, said the council would have insufficient time to determine how much the land would cost to develop and maintain and approach the department before tenders closed on October 10. He said the Government had been unfair in not allowing the council more time to make a decision.