Centre to be rehoused

Press, 9 December 1983, Page 5

Centre to be rehoused

Tenders will be called for the task of rehousing the Christchurch Alcohol and Drug Dependence Centre, estimated to cost $55,000. The chief executive of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, Mr R. I. Parker, said the centre could not even consider accepting convicted drinking drivers, referred under new legislation for assessment, until it moved into the larger premises.

Mr Parker said that the

Hospital Boards’ Association was taking up the matter with the Health Department. Other boards were also concerned about the pressures on their local alcohol assessment centres if they had to cope with disqualified drivers referred by the courts. A town-planning appeal is forcing the board to shift the centre from its present address in Cashel Street into a two-storey building at 258 Armagh Street. Some work has been done

already on converting the property. The board's planning officer. Mr E. F. Bennett, said that tenders would close on December 21. He hoped that final approvals by the board and Health Department would be given in time to allow the successful contractor to start work in late January or early February. Converting the Armagh Street premises would take about 12 weeks.