Council not applying for Hillary funding

Press, 11 October 1988, Page 9

Council not applying for Hillary funding

The Christchurch City Council will not apply for recreation and sports loan funds from the Hillary Commission because $3 would have to be put up for every dollar from the commission.

The council’s policy committee decided yesterday not to take up an option to be part of the scheme because the present budget does not provide the funds for a share of the scheme.

The council would be entitled to apply for a maximum loan of $41,925, but that would commit the council to putting in $125,775.

The scheme was intended for smaller authorities and for facilities with a capital cost of

not more than $60,000, said the committee’s chairman, Cr John Burn.

The council has a recreation and communitydevelopment loans account and sports clubs loan fund. The committee recommended merging these two funds and establishing an officer sub-committee to authorise loans to sports, community and recreation groups. Rent

The council will charge the Canterbury Promotion Council a “fair commercial rent” for space in the redeveloped Old Municipal Chambers, but will consider increasing the grant to the Promotion Council to offset the rent.

The Promotion Council believes the rent of $57,422 a year plus rates, insurance, meeting room and land tax is too high, and asked the City Council to waive the rent.

An alternative would be to charge a commercial rent and increase the grant, the Promotions Council suggested.

The committee favoured the latter arrangement although the recommendation does not commit the council to meet the rent in an increased grant.

Instead, should further assistance be seen as appropriate, that should be considered by way of an additional grant, the committee said.