She’s hooked on meetings

Press, 16 December 1988, Page 4

She’s hooked on meetings

By

JANE DUNBAR

Miss Margaret Killoh

has an unusual addiction — she is “hooked” on Christchurch Drainage Board Miss Killoh has been at every full board meeting, and most committee meetings, since July, 1986.

It was a sad occasion for her, and others, at what was probably the board’s last Christmas meeting on Wednesday. The proposed abolition of the board, and the absorption of board functions by the new city council, would be a tragedy, said Miss Killoh. The thought of the board disappearing was “appalling” as it was essential there was a body with special expertise to deal with Christchurch flooding problems.

The board had been formed 100 years ago because of people’s concern that the job was not being done properly by the council at the time, she said.

Miss Killoh’s interest in the board grew from living all her life in Flockton

Street, St Albans, where there was often flooding. Born in 1923, in the house she still lives in, Miss Killoh has vivid memories of water flooding the streets and creeping through houses. But the flood of July, 1986, was the “straw which broke the camel’s back,” she said. A delegation of concerned residents went to the drainage board, and one or two of them made sure they attended meetings after to hear whether there was progress on fixing the problem.

“I found I learnt so much at the meetings, I got hooked,” said Miss Killoh.

“Not only did I hear about our own problems, but also those of people in other areas.” Flockton Street has not suffered from flooding since work was done in the district, but nor have there been heavy rains. Miss Killoh is waiting for the new works to be tested and has unshakeable faith in the drainage board.