Councillors want best deal

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 7

Councillors want best deal

By

JOCELYN McNEE

Waimairi councillors are now resigned to the one large city proposal and are out to get the best deal for their ratepayers. This was the feeling generated at a special meeting held by the council last evening to discuss the recently announced revamping of Christchurch’s local-body boundaries.

In her opening speech, the chairman, Mrs Margaret Murray, said that Waimairi now had only limited options.

The Local Government Commission has told the Heathcote, Riccarton, Waimairi, and present Christchurch City Councils that they have until May 1 to come up with a method of creating a single en-

larged city. Mrs Murray said the Waimairi Council should use this time well.

“We have until May 1 the opportunity to negotiate the style of Waimairi and stamp it on the city structure,” she said.

This attitude was echoed by Cr Philip Carter. He said the future council management structure, an agreed ' interim arrangement on rates and an agreed number of council staff members were some of the main issues which would have to be negotiated. “I don’t think we should be wasting ratepayers’ money fighting it (the one-city proposal).

“It would be better to direct our attention and resources to finding the best deal for Waimairi.”

Cr Gordon Freeman said both members of Parliament and people in the community had made an “apathetic” response to the proposed changes. The main objector was Cr lan Calvert, of the Wairakei riding. Councillors should not ignore an unofficial poll held in Waimairi which had indicated that ratepayers did not support the one-city concept, he said.

Most of the councillors were resigned to accepting one city, but supported holding a poll in Christchurch to gauge public opposition. By law the Local Government Commission could not proceed with the proposals if 50 per cent of the people affected voted against them. Before a poll can go

ahead, 15 per cent of the electors in one district have to register their opposition to the proposal. Cr Calvert thought that Waimairi could meet this requirement. He said there had been more public interest in this issue than in any other proposal. Cr Brian Shackel said ratepayers should be advised to start organising themselves soon.

At Mrs Murray’s suggestion, the council agreed that a sub-committee of Crs Freeman, Shackel, Calvert and Murray should meet the other councils concerned to discuss the issue.

It was also agreed that the commission’s chairman, Mr Brian Elwood, should be asked to meet the sub-committee.