Council pauses on squash grant

Press, 24 April 1979, Page 6

Council pauses on squash grant

The Christchurch City Council will look again at Mount Pleasant Squash Club public access provisions before giving its parent community centre a $lO,OOO grant.

Last evening, the council decided at its meeting that a special sub-committee of both Labour and Citizens’ Association councillors would review the matter, and that the grant would be deferred in the meantime. The action was sought by Cr Mollie Clark. “The issue is not the community centre or its offspring,” she said, “but the bad handling of the club’s request.” Labour councillors had always been prepared to consider the financial lequest, but the way it was done had been “a denial cf the democratic process.”

But the chairman of the policy and finance committee (Cr N. G. Hattaway) said there had never been any arrogance or secrecy in the matter. The grant had been no different from others

made to community centres. Other grants to sports clubs which had limited memberships and were on public reserves had been made by the council. Cr D. F. Caygill said it was a pity the matter had not been referred to the community services committee, the overseer of community centre activities, in the first place. In a strict legal sense, the community centre would receive the grant, he admitted. “But the public should be able to come in off the street and pay a reasonable fee for a squash game — not $85,” he said. He was delighted to see that progress was being made on the public access issue, but the extent was still not clear. Cr Helen Garrett said that

Cr Clark “specialises in unpleasant insinuations” and had continued that practice in the news media debate on the issue. The community centre had an impressive record, and deserved support. The centre’s worth had never been questioned, said Cr R. Lester. But the centre "knew quite well” that the grant was going to the squash club, and a brief look at its balance sheet suggested that the club was “not a very viable proposition.” It had been suggested that the club now found two courts unprofitable, and would ask for permission to build two more, he said. Labour councillors had made an issue of the grant because they had been defeated on the New Brighton creche issue last month and “are hitting back on this one,” said Cr P. J. R. Skellerup. The Mayor (Mr H. G. Hay) said that he had sought assurances on public access because he thought they were required.

He deplored being called arrogant on the issue. In the past, Cr Clark had accused him of hypocrisy, being hamfisted and selfish, and those were remarks unbecoming of a senior councillor that "do not do anybody any good,” he said. “I have endeavoured to play down this petty party politicking. This sort of public wrangling is bringing discredit to all concerned.”