Development Loan Funds Will Benefit Christchurch

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 10

Development Loan Funds Will Benefit Christchurch

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, July 7. Many works essential to the continued development of Christchurch and its surrounding rural areas are included in the programme which the Government will finance largely by money raised through the current £30,000,000 national development loan. The loan will close tomorrow. The urgency of these district projects has been emphasised by members of the general public. Some of the money from the loan will be used to continue essential works already in hand.

One of these is- the Islington-Rox-burgh power transmission line, which is costing £2,115,000, and there is an expenditure of about £2,000,000 for the provision of sub-stations at Islington, Papanui, and Southbrook. High priority is given to the building of new Post and Telegraph work-

shops and garages in Christchurch. This is expected to cost more than £lOO,OOO. Also on the list of proposed new works are a new Riccarton Post Office, a disturbed patients’ villa at Sunnyside Mental Hospital, a Dominion X-ray arid radium laboratory, and a new telephone exchange at Ashburton. These will absorb another £lOO,OOO.

Works under way include a nurses’ home at Templeton Farm (£110,000) and a women’s villa at Sunnyside Mental Hospital (£57,000). An ex-

penditure of £56,000 is estimated on the Mayfield-Hinds irrigation scheme in the current financial year, and a further sum of £9OOO is to be spent on the Ashburton-Lyndhurst project in the same period. Afforestation in the Canterbury conservancy, which includes Hanmer, Balmoral, Ashley, and Eyrewell, will absorb £BO,OOO, with another £25,000 for maintenance. Expenditure in the Nel-son-Westland conservancy is expected to reach £68,000. The new railway yard at Christchurch is to cost £1,312,000, and two allocations of approximately £50,000 each are needed for extensions to the rail-car shed at. Linwood and the provision of im-

proved heating at the Addington workshops. Christchurch will also receive its share of expenditure on housing construction. The Government has an annual programme of about 4000 houses to build. These are for State rental, the Murupara scheme, defence and departmental needs, and for land settlement purposes. The sum of £5,000,000 is needed to continue the programme of improving’ telegraph, toll, and telephone facilities

throughout the country. This calls for the installation of 36,600 new telephones this year. Educational Buildings

New school buildings for Christchurch, additions to existing schools, and improved facilities comprise an impressive list.

This is as follows:—Heaton street, new intermediate school; Linwood, new intermediate school; Quinns road, new primary school; Riccarton, primary school extensions; North New Brighton, additional rooms; South New Brighton, additional Doorns; Burnside road, new primary school; Sockburn, new primary school; Banks avenue, new primary school; Spreydon, primary additions; Mahars road, primary additions; St. Martins, new primary school; Bishops road, new primary school; Shirley intermediate, additions; Avonside Girls’ High School, additions; Linwood High School, extensions; Christchurch Technical College, new workshops block; Lincoln District High School, additions; Christchurch West District High School, additions; Shirley, new boys’ high school; Cashmere, new high school; Canterbury Agricultural College, new refectory block, boilerhouse, and classroom block; Canterbury University College, new engineering school. This programme is expected to cost more than £2,000,000 to bring to completion.