Censure motion on councillor fails

Press, 19 July 1984, Page 7

Censure motion on councillor fails

Temperatures rose in the Waimairi District Council chambers last evening as councillors voted on formally censuring one of their colleagues. A recommendation by Cr lan Calvert that the council express its grave concern to Cr Brian Shackel, the chairman of the town planning committee, vmo in his capacity as commissioner had failed to attend a committee meeting and present his findings on various notified applications, was narrowly defeated. Cr Shackel’s absence (he was overseas) had not only caused embarrassment to the council but possibly hardship to the applicants, said Cr Calvert. Councillors were equally divided on the matter, and the District Chairman, Mrs Margaret Murray, cast the deciding vote against a censure. Cr Shackel is still overseas. Mrs Murray said that there was no council requirement for a commissioner to attend town planning meetings to personally present his findings. The concern of councillors had been recorded in the minutes and further action was not needed, she said. Cr Calvert said the commissioner had an obligation to present his findings and answer questions. Cr Shackel should have known the rules and yet he had gone overseas and left the

committee with a piece of paper stating his finding. The committee needed to know the reasons and the evidence behind the finding before it approved the application, said Cr Calvert. The commissioner was the only person who had that information. The issue had been raised at the last town planning committee meeting and decisions on the applications affected were deferred until last evening. Cr Bill Rice said that the matter should be raised when Cr Shackel was present. Cr Ralph Skjellerup said that councillors had been left in an awkward position. Although it might appear fairly harsh, “we should be supporting Cr Calvert,” he said. It was important that the council maintained consistency with its planning applications. Water pump The temperature of the Jellie Park Aqualand pools should remain more constant next summer. The council has decided to buy a heat pump, valued, at $103,000, for the pools. The pump, to be supplied by Ellis Hardie Syminton, will cost $42,000 to install. The estimates provided $50,000 for the pump and the balance will be met from the reserves contribution account.

Bond money A group of» successful town . planning applicants will enter into a bond with the council to the value of $600,000. The applicants have been given council consent to subdivide 40ha of Rural H land into 10 productive lots and two utility lots for horticultural production. The land, on the Main North Road, will be developed and managed on a pool basis by the applicant company which will contribute the land equity. Rather than develop the orchard as one large unit, which would require considerable capital, the applicants propose to allow individual investors legal interests in an incomeproducing property in partnership with the applicant. The bond must be paid before deposit of the plan. The amount was determined on the basis of development costs during a six-year period and was set at $lO,OOO a year for each of the 10 productive lots. Such a bond would ensure the proper establishment and management of the orchards to productivity in six years as had been submitted in evidence by the applicant, councillors were told. The bond money need only be paid if the owners default on the plan. The council could use the money to complete the works. Cr Calvert said “this may seem a large bond” but the

council had discussed it with the applicants and “they have no objections.” The council had not entered into a bond of such a size before, he said. Street names A section of Burwood Road in the Styx riding will be renamed Waitikiri Drive in spite of some opposition. Mr E. J. Speight, who runs a business on Burwood Road, wrote to the council opposing the change as he was concerned it might add extra administrative costs and inconvenience his clients. Mr Speight sought the views of a number of local residents to be proposed change and on the basis of information supplied to the council, 16 residents favoured Waitikiri Drive and 14 favoured the original name.