Status quo preferred, Mr Elwood told

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 5

Status quo preferred, Mr Elwood told

Some Christchurch councillors told the Local Government Commission’s chairman, Mr Brian Elwood, last evening that their residents wanted the status quo in local body boundaries. Mr Elwood’s response: “Forget it.” He said that the present system of local government in Christchurch was simply not an option and never had been in the amalgamation debate. He gave nine reasons why:

® Present boundaries were illogical.

• Christchurch appeared to be one geographic and physical community. ® Smaller Christchurch councils inevitably had difficulty in paying qualified administrative and technical staff.

© Administrative and technical staff were duplicated, resulting in extra costs. • Obvious unequal contribution existed in the costs of running the metropolitan community. • Greater efficiency and effectiveness would result through a unified management structure. • Rationalisation should bring savings to ratepayers. • A metropolitan area, such as Christchurch, should be able to plan its future comprehensively, and cost efficiently, through common by-laws, building code, and planning ordinances. • Metropolitan Christchurch should be able to speak, with a united voice in negotiations with the

Government and the private sector to promote its own development