Peninsula preference ‘utter nonsence’

Press, 12 October 1988, Page 2

Peninsula preference ‘utter nonsence’

By SUZANNE KEEN The Lyttelton Borough Council’s efforts to avoid being dragged into the proposed new Christchurch City have been criticised by a former Mayor of Lyttelton, Mr Bruce Collett, as “utter nonsense.” When the previous Local Government Commission sat some years ago, the council had stood by the principle that any amalgamation forced on it should be with Christchurch, Mr Collett said. Now both Lyttelton and the Mount Herbert County Council say they would prefer to be included in the proposed Banks Pen-

insula District. They intend to lobby other local bodies to support their preference.

Mr Collett said it was high time the Lyttelton Borough Council “got its feet on the ground.” Lyttelton and Christchurch needed each other. Lyttelton’s industry and connections were directed 99 per cent to Christchurch

“Lyttelton has suffered more than enough with economic policies and trade downturn. We certainly do not need further relegation to the background to satisfy the whims of a few misguided

people with channel vision.” Mr Collett said that if there was a weakness in the commission’s reform plan it was the proposal to split Mount Herbert so that the Port Levy area went to Banks Peninsula and the remainder to Christchurch City. "While it can hardly be called a city environment, these Port Levy people have their connections with Lyttelton and the city. It is quite unrealistic to expect them to accept Duvauchelle as their centre with what may only be described as a goat-track connection.”