SEWER CONNECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 December 1939, Page 9

SEWER CONNECTIONS

WARNING TO RATEPAYERS COUNCIL ISSUE’S ULTIMATUM The Greymouth Borough Council decided at its meeting last evening to make a definite public statement that every ratepayer in the town must connect with the sewer; also that ratepayers in Greymouth proper must complete their sewer connections by Mai ch 31 next, and that, in the event of default without reasonable cause, the Council should take a test case against some ratepayer or ratepayers. The Mayor said that this question was a hardy annual. It had been be fore the Council year after year since The sewers were first installed in Greymouth 33 years ago, and it was time some finality was reached.

Some months ago the Council served notices under the Municipal Corporation Act on 113 ratepayers in Greymouth proper requiring them to connect with the sewer.

At last evening’s meeting of the Council, Mr. J. Linford, Inspector of Health, reported that only 25 had complied with the requisition. The 113 notices represented more than 113 dwellings as some of the ratepayers had more than one dwelling. Cr. C. Neville asked whether the Council had not power to compel people to connect with the sewer. Mr. Linford, who was present at the meeting at the request of the Council, replied that the Council had the power, but it was a question of enforcing it. Cr. F. F. Boustridge: What would be a reasonable time to give people to connect? | Mr. Linford: Three months. The Mayor: Some of these people have had nine months’ notice, and apparently they .have no intention of complying. Of course, there may be a difficulty at present about getting the necessary materials. Mr. Linford said that some people might not be able to pay the cost of connecting.

Cr. Boustridge: We can deal with their cases when the time conies.

In reply to a question from Cr. A. H. McKane, Mr. Linford said he had no desire to prosecute, but there were people who had no intention of connecting, though they could very well afford to do so. Cr. Boustridge said that he thought those who had not connected should be given two months’ notice to commence the work. At the expiration of that time the Council could deal with people who had reasonable excuses.

Cr. G. R. Harker: You can’t commence 82 jobs in two months. That is ridiculous.

Mr. Linford said that, if the necessary permits were taken out in two months, those concerned would have four months to complete the job. Cr. Anderson said that he thought the people concerned should be given notice to commence the work by the end of March. The Council should make that a hard and fast rule. In his opinion two months was too. short a time with the holidays coming on. The Mayor said that this matter had been going on for 30 years. People should be given to the end of March, and, after that, if necessary, the Council could bring a test case to show everybody that the Council was in earnest. It was not good enough that the Council should be troubled by this question year after year, anil decade after decade.

It was eventually decided that notices should be sent out informing the ratepayers concerned that they must complete their sewer connections by March 31 next, or make some other arrangement with the Council, and that, in the event of default, the Council take a test case against some ratepayer or ratepayers.

RESPONSE IN BLAKETOWN

With regard to the gravity portion of the Blaketown sewerage scheme, Mr. Linford reported that . be had made inquiries as to the residents who wished assistance in connecting with the sewer. In Block No. 1, Collins and Doyle Streets, three required no assistance, and five were not decided. In Block No. 2 Collins, Doyle, Blake and Coakley Streets, five required no assistance, seven were not decided or were absent, two required assistance, and one was completed. From the 23 notices sent out, only 1.1 had definitely stated their intention to date, the remainder had not decided, or perhaps did not wish to connect, or were absentee owners he had not interviewed. In the portion of Blaketown served by fire gravity system there were 12 houses connected to the sewer. Mr. Linford said the result was not satisfactory, and it looked as if they were going to have a recurrence of the trouble experienced in Greymouth with regard to people not connecting with the sewer. ( Cr. J. Saunders: People should understand that they are required to connect with the sewer whether they think they can afford it or not. Cr. J. B. Kent suggested that a meeting should be held in Blaketown and the position explained to the people. Cr. Neville: They understand the position well enough. Cr. Saunders: The people in Blaketown know that people in Greymouth have got away with not connecting with the sewer for 33 years. Cr. Anderson: It is an unfortunate time to talk about taking action against the people of Blaketown. what with the shortage of materials and so forth, and especially since there are people in Greymouth who have not complied in 30 years. Cr. Saunders: Don’t try to make excuses for them. Cr. Anderson: I am not making excuses.

Cr. Boustridge: I agree with Cr. Saunders. The Council should make it clear that the people must connect with the sewer.

Mr. Linford: The people of Blaketown know their obligation in this matter, but they are trying to put it off as long as possible. The Mayor said that the Council had money lying idle to make loans to people in Blaketown. who could not afford to connect with the sewers. This suggested that the Council’s scheme to assist ratepayers had broken down. It was decided, on the motion of Cr. Saunders, that a definite public statement should be made that every ratepayer must connect with the sewer. The Mayor said that the Council had no desire to issue hundreds of notices to ratepayers or prosecute anyone, but they must, if the ratepayers did not respond to the. Council’s appeal.