Permanent receptionist sought for Kaiapoi centre

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 20

Permanent receptionist sought for Kaiapoi centre

The need for a permanently funded receptionist at the Kaiapoi Social Services Centre will be raised with the Minister of Social Welfare. Mrs Hercus, and the Minister of Labour. Mr Rodger. The library, properties, and services committee of the Kaiapoi Borough Council decided on Monday to write to the Ministers outlining the need for a permanent receptionist at the centre. The temporary-funding scheme for the present receptionist expires in March, 1986. “It seems that whenever we get someone good in there, they have to leave and we have to find someone else," said the chairman of the committee, Cr Peggy Wade. The number of calls handled by the centre has increased steadily in the last year. A record total of 1419 people got in touch with the centre, and the agencies which function there, during July. Only 396 people used the centre and its services in July, 1984. A social worker based at the centre has had to increase the hours he spent there because of an increase in demand, said Cr Wade. People were also using

the centre as an information bureau. “That is probably because of the high standard of the receptionist we have there now. They know they can get help there," she said. Cr Wade said the centre was probably unique and other local bodies would want to have a similar centre which could offer the range of services from Government departments and other agencies. Library Records have also been set by the new library at Kaiapoi. A total of 2668 books were issued in July and 94 new members joined the library during the month, the committee was told. Both figures were new records. L.P.G. A technical breach oi planning permission for an L.P.G. tank was so small it was insignificant, the council's town-planning committee was told. The director of Kaikanui Motors, Mr Brent Hayes, wrote to the council saying the tank was closer to the wooden building, occupied by his business, than the 7.'7m minimum set down by the council. He also said the access to

the tank by the L.P.G. tanker was “completely inadequate." The driver would not be able to remove the tanker quickly enough if there were an accident. “Our company considers these circumstances intolerable as we believe a very real risk of an accident and serious injury exists,” said Mr Hayes. He also criticised the council for not having consulted his company during the planning before’the tank was installed on land which his company leased to Kaiapoi Motor Spares. The council's building inspector, Mr Jim Steel, said that only a small corner of the wooden building was closer than 7.7 m from the tank. The corner, which jutted out from the main part of the building, was about 7.4 m from the tank. “It was not seen at the time of inspection. It is so insignificant it doesn't matter although technically it is not 7.7 m," he said. Mr Steel said he spoke to the tanker driver and found that he had recently changed the method of manoeuvering the tanker to the tank. It was now much safer and would allow the vehicle to get away quickly if need be. The committee’s chair-

man, Cr Margaret Cleland, said that the council was not negligent by not getting in touch with Mr Hayes' company during the planning for the tank. Public notices had been inserted in newspapers and there was "quite a bit" of publicity about the application to install the tank. She also said the company had only moved into the wooden building in the last few weeks.