Youth centre may get $60,000 from council

Press, 2 May 1984, Page 7

Youth centre may get $60,000 from council

A Christchurch youth centre will be $60,000 nearer to establishment if the Christchurch City Council accepts a recommendation of its community services and health committee. The committee yesterday voted to allot $60,000 of this year’s council budget towards a fund for the centre. Cr Rex Lester commended the proposal, developed by members of the Christchurch Youth Council. “It is an exciting proposal and one the council should support wholeheartedly,” he said. “By allowing a figure in the budget we can prove we are behind it.” A public meeting of young people was held at the beginning of April to discuss proposals for a centre. A site or building still has to be found. The centre would cater for a minimum of 500 people and that would re-

quire an area of 500 sq m, the meeting was told. Conversion costs for an existing building would be about $60,000. Substantial on-going costs for staff, administration, cleaning and maintenance would also be required, Cr Lester said. He envisaged the council would contribute at least $60,000, if not more, annually for the centre. Cr Anne Evans suggested the larger sum of $125,000 for the first year of the centre. Fund-raising would be done by the young people, and support from other councils and agencies would be sought, Cr Lester said. The organisers of the 3ZM Shazam concert had promised this year’s takings to the centre, Cr Lester said. This would be about $5OOO. The centre’s organising committee planned to form an incorporated society. The

council would have an involvement in that society, he said. The establishment of a youth centre was an extension of the council’s involvement in community facilities. Its need was well accepted and the council was willing to respond positively, Cr Lester said. Noise control The council has employed a security firm to act as noise control officers on its behalf. Armour Guard Security, Ltd, will be responsible for control of excessive noise after hours. Twenty-eight employees of the firm have been appointed as litter control officers and designated as noise control officers under the Noise Control Act. They have been given appropriate training by members of the council’s health department. The council has also ap-

pointed three of its own employees as noise control officers. Under the act the council was required to appoint its own employees as officers if they were to continue the noise-related work they already did. The security firm will handle complaints from 4.30 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays, week-ends, and when the council office is closed. The three council staff will handle noise complaints during normal council hours.

Grants The committee approved grants of $7500 to the Mt Pleasant Community Centre for alterations, $4OOO plus rent and salaries to the Aranui-Wainoni Community Creche, $lOOO to assist com-munity-based holiday and child care programmes, and $lOOO to the Sumner Community Centre towards the building of a storage unit.