Mt Vernon Appeal boost

Press, 1 November 1984, Page 1

Mt Vernon Appeal boost

The Canterbury United Council yesterday pledged $75,000 to the Mount Vernon Appeal. This recommendation was passed, 16 votes to seven, by the council’s regional planning committee and was later confirmed by the council. The $75,000 will be used to buy 52 hectares (about 20 per cent of the total area) which falls under the protection of the Summit Road Act Three payments of $25,000 will be made during the next three years. The chairman of the Heathcote County Council, Mr Oscar Alpers, said last evening that he would recommend that it lend

$75,000 to the Mount Vernon appeal. The money could be repaid as the three $25,000 grants from the United Council were made. Mr Alpers said that the council had already agreed in principle to an interim loan for the appeal, but had yet to decide on the amount and whether interest would be charged. The move would mean that the $75,000 would be available for the Mount Vernon purchase on the settlement date early next year. Mr Alpers said that he would put his recommendation to his council’s finance committee on November 8. Heathcote has already nego-

tiated to buy the Bowenvale block, which adjoins Mount Vernon. The decision to buy the Mount Vernon property has to be confirmed by November 7 and the land would be taken' over on January 31 next year. The chairman of the Port Hills Appeal Committee, Mr Graeme Robertson, told the United Council’s regional planning committee that about $220,000 had already been pledged and said he hoped that by the time his committee met this evening he would have received sufficient assurances of money to proceed. The full purchase price is $380,000.

After hearing of Mr Alpers’ move last evening, Mr Robertson said that he was confident that the Mount Vernon purchase would go ahead. He said the contributions would go a long way to save the appeal. They were “excellent” news. “For the first time the Canterbury United Council has recognised its potential influence over regional reserves and should be commended in every way,” he said. The United Council will be represented on a trust board that would be set up to manage the Mount Vernon farm park.