Chch home for Hospital Boards’ Association?

Press, 15 April 1987, Page 9

Chch home for Hospital Boards’ Association?

Christchurch could be considered as an alternative home for the Hospital Boards’ Association, the Canterbury Hospital Board’s finance committee was told yesterday. A board member. Professor Don Beaven, said that rising rentals for inner-city accommodation in Wellington could make Christchurch an attractive alternative location for the association’s head office.

“Christchurch Airport is open more often,” he said.

“Some rents in the capital have increased 38 per cent while New Zealand seems to have this Edwardian attitude to centralising everything in Wellington. Perhaps we could consider a costing exercise in moving the association to Christchurch.”

But the board and association chairman, Mr Tom Grigg, disagreed. The association’s geographic closeness to Parliament and the Gov-

ernment remained important, he said.

"Whether we could achieve the same efficiency with an office outside Wellington is debatable. We are within walking distance of Parliament, a big advantage when the association has to make representations to Government quickly.” The cost of being an association member has risen. The board has received a levy request from the association for $91,617 (including GST). For 1986-7, the levy was $67,292.

Committee members were told that for March, 1987, the board was $169,653 over budget in its maintenance account It had also exceeded its basic Government grant by $140,709 during the same period. For the 12 months to date, it was $909,171 over allocation.

But the board was keeping within its capital account budget said the director of finance, Mr David Herman.