Care programme short of funds

Press, 24 February 1987, Page 6

Care programme short of funds

Efforts to raise funds for the Wharenui After School Programme were debated by the Riccarton Borough Council yesterday.

The Community Affairs Officer, Miss Susan Hodder, had advised the community affairs committee that she was approaching local businesses to raise the $6500 needed to employ a part-time coordinator to assist with after-school care for up to 20 children. The council was concerned that if she could not find the money for her three-year pro-; gramme it would have to be closed.

The council agreed to send letters to the Ministers of Women’s Affairs, Education, Health, Internal Affairs, Labour, Social Welfare and Maori Affairs urging them to discuss the needs of after-school care.

The councillors agreed the programme was worth while but debated whether local bodies or the Governments or parents should be financially responsible for such a programme. Cr Gerald Hunt said the situation in the locality was extremely serious and suggested that some kind of 50/50 agreement

could be worked out between parents and the Government

Cr Ray Lester said that 42 per cent of the children attending Wharenui School were children of solo parents and that the working schedules of some would not permit them to take on any added responsibility. On the other hand, said Cr Derek Anderson, primarily the responsibility lay with the parents and he questioned whether the Government should be further pressed to fund such programmes.

The chairman of the community affairs committee, Cr George Marriner, said it was right for the council to give support, but asked whether local people should have to struggle financially to support something that was of national concern. He was not looking for a complete Government package but believed that applications for funds from certain organisations ought to be made. “I think this is important, because without this programme we could find that 20 children will become social outcasts. There’s far more attached to this than just looking after 20 children after

school each day. It is their future we are caring for,” said Cr Brian Harman.

Players

The council resolved to approve an application for the mandatory remittance of half of the rates paid by the Riccarton Players. Cr John Wright checked the Riccarton Players’ application and said that as d right they qualified for the rates remission under section 146 of the Rating Act

Cr Lester objected .to the remission but conceded that if it was their right then the councillors would have to oblige. He also objected to the Riccarton Players not repaying a $30,000 mortgage loan from the council. Cr Anderson said Riccarton Players had just paid $7OOO of the loan and advised they had received a favourable response from the Trustbank for the remainder of the mortgage which should be resolved over the next few weeks He said that Riccarton Players was “a community organisation and we are helping a very worthy cause.” Noise

A meeting of the Mona Vale management committee has been scheduled earlier to discuss the recent complaints regarding noise.

The Mayor of Riccarton, Mr Richard Harrington, said he would attend the meeting as little action seemed to have been taken since the complaints were made.

Cr Anderson, a member of the Mona Vale management committee since its inception, said to his knowledge, it was the first serious complaint it has had.

The original complaint had been made by a resident who had contacted a. security firm on several occasions about the noise from functions at Mona Vale. The complainant felt that the firm had failed to achieve any reduction in the noise level and had turned to the council for assistance.