Decision reserved on arts festival

Press, 10 April 1987, Page 9

Decision reserved on arts festival

Heathcote County councillors reserved making a decision last evening on whether, to contribute $5OOO towards establishing a biennial Christchurch Arts Festival until after they met members of the festival committee next month. Heathcote is one of five Christchurch councils that have been asked to contribute towards the cost of staging a festival every two years and employing a permanent manager with a secretary and office.

Heathcote’s finance and administration committee was concerned about employing a manager and staff.

The County Chairman, Mr Oscar Alpers, wanted to know whether the work could be done by officials of existing arts organisations.

Cr Bruce Lili wanted to see more “arts in the suburbs” if the council contributed regularly to

the festival. Councillors decided to defer the matter until the next meeting, when members of the arts festival committee would be invited to answer queries. Ferrymead Ferrymead Historic Trust would have to pay Heathcote County $1423 in water charges but would be given a grant of $l5OO to help it out over a “lean patch,” the council decided.

The grant would be conditional on the trust’s “thoroughly investigating the possibility of economising its water consumption.”

During the year ended January 31,1987, the trust used 5931 cubic metres of water.

At the moment, the trust was charged for its water supply by the council, but the water was supplied by the Christchurch City Council, which in turn passed on the charges to Heathcote.

Mr Alpers, who suggested the grant, said it could “just be a one-off thing,” that the council could review next year. Truscotts Road Visitors to Ferrymead Historic Park ,at Easter who have previously tried to avoid paying by entering across fences and unmanned locked gates in Truscotts Road, will be out of luck -this year. Part of Truscotts Road from north of. the first entrance to the park will be temporarily closed to all traffic, including pedestrians, from April 17 to 20, from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 pm. each day. Councillors agreed to the closing after a request by the Ferrymead trust Approval for the closing was made in consultation with the police and the Minsitry of Transport. A public notice had also been published.