Council defers move to close Kaiapoi factory

Press, 15 February 1984, Page 20

Council defers move to close Kaiapoi factory

An attempt to close a factory at Kaiapoi has been postponed by the Kaiapoi Borough Council for at least two weeks.

The council’s town-plan-ning committee had recommended to the. council that it take steps to have the factory of the firm, Protein Technology, closed because of the “atrocious” smell it sometimes generated.

The council was told on Monday that the matter should be left to the Health Department. The Assistant Town Clerk, Mr K. A. Lamb, said that based on figures quoted to him on the factory’s processing capacity, the company would have to apply to the council for a licence under the Clean Air Act.

An investigation by departmental staff on Monday showed that the factory had a greater capacity than originally thought and any licence would have to be granted by the Health Department. The department did not have to grant a licence if it thought the factory to be a health hazard, he said. The Mayor of Kaiapoi, Mr H. W. Cumberland, successfully moved that the recommendation to close the factory be held over for two weeks. The delay would allow council staff to consult the department. The issue

could then be raised at the council’s meeting on February 27.

Several councillors thought that the recommendation to close the factory had been made “hastily.” They said that the council should first talk to the company’s management. Cr J. Bryden accused the council of being “two-faced” over the issue. Complaints had been received about other businesses but “not a hell of a lot” had been done about them. "We have allowed one business to carry on after receiving numerous complaints. We get complaints about this business for a few weeks and we threaten to close it,” he said. The Town Clerk, Mr R. N. McCabe, said that company representatives had approached him on Monday, seeking a meeting with the council to discuss the issue. The council decided not to meet the company until it had had time to consider any recommendation by the Health Department. Library hours Another attempt to open the Kaiapoi Library between noon and 2 p.m. on week-days was narrowly defeated.

Library staff had asked 200 users if they wanted the library to remain open dur-

ing the lunch period. About 160 people were in favour of the idea.

The library committee decided against the extended hours but Cr P. I. Redmond tried to overturn the recommendation.

He argued that the additional cost of $550 a year was not an excessive sum to pay for the extra service.

Cr M. O. Cleland said that it was the only library of its size in the area which was not open during the lunch break.

Mr Cumberland said the extra $550 was “just the tip of the iceberg.” Problems could arise if staff members were sick. Council office staff would be “expected to hold the fort” if anyone was away. The committee’s chairman, Cr F. P. Wade, said there would be an “absolute adjustment” of library hours when the new library was built.

She expected work to start on the new library later in the year. Mr Cumberland used his casting vote to keep the library closed during the lunch break. House loan A loan from the borough’s general fund to help a council employee buy a house will now go ahead.

Cr H. G. McAllister had

questioned the legality of making the money available when the house was outside the borough’s boundary. The council had decided to seek an opinion from the Audit Department. Mr McCabe reported that the department had said the loan should not be made but a legal opinion backed the original decision.

The council decided to follow the advice of its solicitors and make the $13,500 available.

Estimates Preliminary draft estimates will be given to councillors this year in an effort to enable them to have more input into the final draft. Cr Redmond said he did not think that all councillors had as much opportunity as they should have to contribute to the drawing up of estimates.

A borough inspection would also be held to give councillors an idea of what work needed to be done. Cr Redmond also successfully moved that the council formally adopt “zero based budgeting” in the estimates. This would allow a “more critical” look at the estimates, he said.

Mr McCabe said that he had been following the procedure for several vears.