Joint noise-control officers suggested

Press, 24 February 1984, Page 5

Joint noise-control officers suggested

Christchurch’s local bodies should combine to employ a group of full-time noise-control officers, the Heathcote County Council has suggested. The suggestion, by the County Chairman. Mr O. T. Alpers, was favoured strongly by councillors, at a meeting last evening.

He said that two or three officers, with "suitable physical attributes" and training, could be available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at one telephone number to deal with noise complaints anywhere in the metropolitan area. The service might be an alternative to the ineffective enforcement required by the Noise Control Act, he said.

Mr Alpers said that his suggestion had not been well received at a meeting of Ward 11 of the Counties' Association in Christchurch this week, but he was willing to pursue it.

Cr J. G. Laurenson said that he was surprised that Mr Alpers did not get more support.

Many councils shared the view that they would not let their staff members go to noisy parties without a policeman in attendance. Mr Alpers said. His proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the Christchurch City Council's community services and health committee. Complaints One ratepayer with a complaint should not be treated any differently from a group of people with a complaint, said Cr M. J. Tavlor.

She was responding to a query by Mr Alpers as to whether the council felt that a complaint made by a

resident about the loudness of the Elton John concert, on February IS should be passed on to the Citv Coun-

Mr Alpers said that tie had had one complaint about the concert from a Hackthorne Road resident who wanted the complaint passed io the City Council.

Mr Alpers said that while more than 20.000 people had paid to see the concert, many more people, including himself, had enjoyed hearing it free. "I think the rest of us could put up with something like this once a year. It might be a different story if it was once a week." he said. Memorials The memorials on the Rapaki Track to two boys who had died of exposure in 1883 might be improved. The council's project employment programme committee suggested in its report that a fence be put around the memorials, which it described as looking like "two old lampposts in the middle of nowhere." The matter will be discussed more thoroughly at the council's next works and reserves committee meeting. ■ Meetings In his report, Mr Alpers said that meetings and social functions he had at- | tended as chairman had i been valuable in strengthening acquaintance with other people in local government. I It was probably more im- | portant for him than it was i for chairmen or councillors | of bigger local authorities. I "Heathcote is widely regarded as a somewhat insignificant and perhaps somewhat irresponsible local authority and public relations work in some quarters is almost essential," he said Bowen vale Valley The signing of the contract for purchase of Bowenvale Valley on the Port Hills was acknowledged by the council last evening. The $260,000 contract was received on Tuesday.