Council to try again for land in Blair block

Press, 2 April 1987, Page 9

Council to try again for land in Blair block

Another attempt will be made by the Waimairi District Council to secure land in the Blair block, at minimal or no cost, for elderly people’s housing.

The council’s community affairs committee was told yesterday that a request for financial help in buying the land had been declined by the Minister of Housing, Mr Goff. The request had been made by the member of Parliament for Yaldhurst, Mrs Margaret Austin. The Housing Corporation had offered the council 10 residential sections in the block for $312,000. The District Chairman,

Mrs Margaret Murray, said the Housing Corporation had done a “complete backtrack.” The Minister had originally said the land would be given to the council, she said. The corporation had a piece of land which had been lying idle for years and was passing up the opportunity to make a positive contribution to housing for the elderly without increasing the Government’s debt, said Mrs Murray. The council would approach the Housing Corporation again to get a smaller block of land. The committee was told

that 52 units could be built on the 10 sections. Even if all the units were built, these would still each cost $4625 above the maximum finance available from the Housing Corporation.

Present council estimates place the cost of units at $44,625 each. The District Clerk, Mr Peter Chapple, said the cost would reduce to $27,000 a unit if the land was given. Committee members thought that 52 units In one block would be too many. They suggested any further negotiations should be for land for 10 to 15 units.