Ellesmere Council told of telephone problems

Press, 31 January 1984, Page 9

Ellesmere Council told of telephone problems

Tales of overloaded telephone circuits, misdirected calls, and telephone lines out of order were bandied round the Ellesmere County Council table on Monday.

The discussion was started by a request from the Leeston Community Council that the Post Office be asked to improve the telephone circuits between Leeston and the neighbouring townships of Irwell and Southbridge. Cr J. S. Free agreed, saying telephone calls to Christchurch were no problem, but it was “shocking” trying to make local calls. “I would venture to say it is the worst situation we have ever had,” he said.

Other councillors had their own complaints about overloaded telephone circuits.

“They have given us a service but by hell, it is a pretty limited one,” Cr P. J. Abbott said. The council decided to take the matter up with the

Post Office and also send a copy of the same letter to the member of Parliament for Selwyn, Miss Ruth Richardson. The council’s chairman, Mr W. E. Walker, said it was a good idea to voice dissatisfaction now while the Post Office was still spending money on its service to the area. The Dunsandel exchange was due to be fully automated later this year. He had been told that the overloading problems, with calls routed through Christchurch, was no worse in Leeston than other areas using the same exchange. “But it looks to me as though the problem is a major one ” he said. Cr W. Heslop said the telephone service was not good but it was a lot better than it had been. Cr Free said it was im-

possible for Leeston callers to get through to Irwell or • Southbridge numbers between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. If the Leeston fire brigade wanted to reach its Southbridge counterpart and they were not on the radio, it would be impossible to use the telephone in emergencies.

Sewage refusal

Overloading at the Lincoln College sewage treatment plant means that septic tanks will have to be

installed for a new Government research building.

The council refused persmission to connect the D.S.I.R. and Ministry of Agriculture buildings to the sewer. The decision is in line with the council’s ban on further subdivisions in Lincoln.

The building is expected to house 113 extra staff when it is finished in 1987.

The county engineer, Mr R. J. Anderson, said the Ministry of Works and Development had applied for permission in the hope of connecting some of the first buildings.

“While the first two increases (19 extra staff in the 18 months) are minimal there is the old saying that it is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back,” he said.

The “camel’s back” was already strained to its limits, he said. Cr L. W. J. Woods said refusing the sewer application would help the council’s case for improving the treatment plant. It is appealing against some of the conditions set by the North Canterbury Catchment

board on plant upgrading. Housing A council sub-committee has been set up to look at the best way to provide housing for the elderly. Separate surveys by the Lincoln Community Care Association and the Leeston steering committee for housing for the elderly had said there was a need for such accommodation. Both groups are investigating projects to build pensioner flats or homes. Councillors had decided at a policy committee meeting not to help finance such projects directly, but the council Could look at providing subsidised housing for the elderly on adjoining land. Such housing would in effect become part of the projects. Pool by-law Any by-law decision on fencing swimming pools has been deferred for six more months. Council staff said the standard draft by-law was too simplistic and “somewhat lacking” in its administration. It made no provision for local authorities

to keep a register of pools in its area, nor for annual inspections or licence fees. Cr J. S. Free had opposed the delay, to allow staff to draw up their own draft bylaw, at an earlier committee meeting because he wanted a by-law passed then to make owners fence their swimming pools. Flood fund

A $5OO council donation started a relief fund for flood-stricken Southland residents.

The county chairman, Mr W. E. Walker, invited public subscriptions. He said the council should set up the fund because the flooding problems were probably worse than anyone in Ellesmere could imagine.