Sewerage scheme bill

Press, 20 December 1986, Page 10

Sewerage scheme bill

The Akaroa County Council’s budget estimates for next year may be seriously affected because of an unexpected bill of $60,000 for the town’s sewerage scheme.

The council received only 25 per cent of an expected 100 per cent subsidy from the Health Department towards its $BO,OOO Akaroa town sewerage scheme. ' The County Clerk, Mr Lyn Graham, told councillors at yesterday’s meeting that the shortfall in the sudsidy would “seriously affect” the council’s estimates for its budget next year. The Health Department had granted only 25 per cent of the subsidy because it was also facing economic cuts, but it had promised the rest of the money would “probably be granted next year if it was available” said Mr Graham.

The council had gone ahead with the scheme on the understanding that the subsidy would be granted. “If the Government

can’t pay its bills, then how can it expect the rest of us to pay?” said Cr Phillip Cooke. The lack of money available from the subsidy had placed the financing of the Duvauchelle sewerage and water scheme in question. The council had also proceeded with that scheme on the basis that the money would be available, but the Health Department has said it would pay 80 per cent of the cost "subject to finance,” said Mr Graham.

The question of subsidies should be referred to the local member of Parliament because it was becoming a political issue, said Cr Robyn Grigg.

Patrols The Ministry of Transport had no intention of reducing the patrols it made in the Akaroa and Wairewa areas, although it would not be paying for an officer to stay in Akaroa during the summer this year, the Ministry’s chief traffic officer (rural), Mr Bob Fox, told the council yesterday. He had been invited to yesterday’s meeting to discuss the council’s concern that no traffic officer would be stationed in Akaroa.

The Ministry had a tight budget this year, which was why it had decided not to have an officer resident in Akaroa over the Christmas and New Year holiday. Mr Fox said two checkpoints would be held over Christmas, but he did not want to say when. Up to six officers would regularly patrol the roads on the Peninsula between Decemeber 22 and January 4. More officers would

patrol the area on New Year’s Eve, as that was likely to be the busiest time.

The offence rate for Akaroa was very low, he said. Last year, there were no accidents.

“Perhaps that’s a tribute to their skilful driving or maybe just luck,” said Mr Fox. Some councillors thought this was probably because the accidents did not involve a serious injury and so were not reported. Up to 96 people, however, had been caught speeding through Little River last week-end. After January 4, traffic instructors giving road instruction in the schools would also be available to enforce traffic infringements. Reorganisation Reorganisation plans for Akaroa and Wairewa were discussed in committee.

The talks should be held in committee, be-

cause the council was discussing another council's business, said Cr Grigg. After, Cr Grigg said the council would “go public” on the discussions as soon as it was in a position to take the reorganisation merger document to the Local Government Commission.

The document was considered at a special committee meeting on December 1, before a meeting with Wairewa on December 3. Discussion at the committee meeting also included the possible name of the two counties should they unite. The minutes of the meeting recorded that the committee thought a compromise could be reached by using the name Akaroa Wairewa County Council. District Scheme Copies of the council’s District Scheme review will be available at Council offices in January, for $45.