Abandon Taitapu scheme—council

Press, 3 February 1987, Page 4

Abandon Taitapu scheme —council

A survey of Taitapu residents has convinced the Paparua County Council that the proposed sewerage scheme there should be abandoned.

The survey was made by the council at the end of last year as a final check on the scheme’s viability before a Health Department subsidy was withdrawn. Residents of the floodprone township are concerned that a septic tank leakage would endanger their health but a costsharing proposal with other parts of the county was rejected last year. The Paparua County Engineer, Mr John Annan, said 119 questionnaires were sent to 91 Taitapu properties. Of the 64 returned by the due date, about 55 per cent (35 replies) were in favour of a scheme.

The slim majority was not enough to warrant further action, he said. Further evidence of this could be found in the amount of money people were prepared to spend on a new system. Acceptable figures for a maximum annual charge ranged from $4OO to $1744 but 27 of the 33 answers to this question lay between $5OO and $7OO. A real cost, without council financial support, would probably be between $l5OO and $lBOO a year, said Mr Annan.

The questionnaire also asked whether residents preferred a conventional system or an effluent disposal system (E.D.S.). Of the scheme’s supporters, nine favoured the conventional system and 25 preferred the cheaper E.D.S.

Mr Annan said a further 19 surveys were returned between the closing date and Christmas Eve but they did not vary the outcome greatly, with 11 more in support of the scheme and eight against. Speed zone The principal of Hogben School has expressed concern about the open speed zone on Halswell Road outside the school. His letter and a similar letter from the Education Department were received by the council last evening. The department said that many children used the section of Halswell Road between Templeton and Dunbars Roads. Hogben was a residential school for maladjusted children and the school’s programme required pupils to often make their own way to and from offcampus programmes.

The department was also taking the issue up with the Minister of Works and Development, it said. The council .resolved to

meet the school’s principal and report back. Recreational zone

A 1500 ha stretch of land between McLeans Island and West Melton has been approved for recreation.

The council granted a zone change from Rural 4 to Recreation 3 which had been sought by the owner of the land, the North Canterbury Catchment Board. The board has said that several parties were interested in leasing land for club activities similar to those already in place on McLeans Island. Hydatids tests Dogs in urban Paparua County will no longer have to have two hydatids treatments a year, according to a new hydatids scheme adopted last evening. The National Hydatids Council’s alternative policy ensures that most dog owners are no longer required to have their dogs dosed unless travelling out of the district. They will still receive a yearly visit from their local hydatids officer to make sure the conditions are being complied with. The exceptions are dogs working or kept on properties with sheep or goats or where home killing is practised unless certain criteria are met.

These dogs will still be treated every six weeks. The new policy meant that less money would be spent on dosing and more on prevention, said the Deputy County Clerk, Mr Geoff Read.

Dogs in rural areas such as Templeton, Prebbleton, Taitapu, Westmorland, and Kennedys Bush Road will be included in the urban area where they were previously treated every six months. Main South Road The Sockburn District Community Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the proposed improvement of the’ Main South Road. The meeting will be held at the Paparua County Council offices on February 11 at 7 p.m. Public meetings for residents and industrial properties involved would be held before any decision was made, the council said.

Those properties initially affected lie between Watts Road and Place.