Sewer payment irks council

Press, 23 April 1979, Page 4

Sewer payment irks council

The Christchurch City Council is protesting about a $15,888 sewer contribution required by the Drainage Board for industrial land in Haytons Road. Part o' the land is the site of a future rubbish transfer station under the new metropolitan disposal system. Building-height restrictions apply over some of the land because it is near the Wigram Aerodrome. Council officers have argued that the system of charging landowners on an area basis is unfair, according to a report to the Drainage Board’s works committee. Board members do not agree. The city has said also that boundary adjustments made because of the transfer station do not amount to a subdivision. The contribution rate is $1235 a hectare in the Wigram industrial sewer c a t c h m e n t . Council officers want the assessment based on actual connections, not land area. Board members were

told that the Wigram industrial sewer was designed to service 230 ha with the board meeting about a quarter of the cost and subdividers the rest. The total cost of the project was about $375,000. A cost-sharing scheme had been approved by the Paparua County Council in 1974 before construction started. Other developers in the area had already paid the contribution on large blocks without saying the system was tin fair. Although the building height rules were restrictive, there was "still wide scope for development,” said the board's engineers. A private developer would face the same thing and he would not get much sympathy from the council or the board,” said Mr H. W. Thompson. As a subdivider the council was “only doing what one would expect and what they are entitled to do,” said the board’s chief engineer (Mr P. J. McWilliam).