Council plans to ‘correct error’

Press, 13 July 1988, Page 8

Council plans to ‘correct error’

The appointment of a Waimairi District Council representative on the Mona Vale Management Committee would help correct a historical error, said the district chairman, Mrs Margaret Murray. Mrs Murray said that although a large part of Mona Vale fell within Waimairi District, the council had never played a significant part in its development. It had not had a representative on the management committee at any time in the committee’s 20-year history. Both the Christchurch City and Riccarton Borough councils have three representatives each on the committee and recently invited Waimairi to appoint its own representative. The council’s finance and policy committee last evening agreed that the council should accept the invitation but Cr Brian Shackel was concerned that three representatives of each council was too many and would "just add to the inefficient management.” It was recommended that Cr John Hanafin attend a management committee meeting and discuss Waimairi’s views on representation. The council has also

decided to meet the $115,000 cost of a triangu-lar-shaped piece of land at the southern end of the Mona Vale property. The land, between the Fendalton Road gatehouse and the Waimairi Stream, is owned by the Railways Corporation but the management committee was unable to fund the notnegotiable price. However, it felt that the loss of the land would aesthetically have an adverse impact on this part of Mona Vale. Mrs Murray, said the land purchase would be a good introduction for

Waimairi’s participation in the development of the complex. Cr Shackel Cr Brian Shackel came in for another roasting from his fellow councillors last evening. Cr Gordon Freeman, who has been away from Christchurch for several weeks, said he was saddened to read on his return reports of Cr Shackel’s saying the council was “broke.” By accusing the council of wasting money, Cr Shackel was making a “straight-out slight on the treasury staff,” said Cr Freeman. “While I have been away, as a member of this council I have been accused of wasting money and am a party of a council that is going broke. In my opinion Cr Shackel has acted like a spanked schoolboy.” Cr Shackel had already “had his hand smacked” over his comments on amalgamation, Cr Freeman said. Mrs Murray said that the matter had got well out of hand and was most unfortunate for the council. “This council does not deserve to be discredited like that.”