Heathcote councillor leaves meeting

Press, 24 June 1983, Page 5

Heathcote councillor leaves meeting

After being repeatedly called to order, Cr O. T. Alpers walked out of a meeting of the Heathcote County Council yesterday, inviting other councillors to join him.

He said as he went: “If any other councillors wish to have the opportunity to read the business before them they might care to deprive the chairman of a quorum.” At that Cr M. C. C. Buchanan got up and left also but returned a little later.

The dispute developed when the chairman, Mr W. M. Hindmarsh, asked the council to confirm the minutes of a special meeting earlier this week to consider buying parts of Bowenvale farm for reserve purposes. Against the advice of Cr Alpers, who is chairman of the council’s town planning committee, and Cr M. J. Taylor, chairman of the works and reserves committee, the meeting decided not to buy any land on the property. Cr Alpers later told “The Press” that both he and Cr Taylor were considering resigning as a result of the decision.

When the subject was raised yesterday Cr Alpers said that he found himself entirely out of step with the rest of the council on it and a number of other issues. He was told that he was out of order because he was

not speaking on a matter arising from the minutes. Instead he was reflecting on a decision of the council.

“I am not commenting on the wisdom or otherwise of that decision,” he said. “I just find my position now as chairman of the town planning committee quite untenable.”

Mr Hindmarsh told him again that he was out of order and called for the confirmation of the minutes asking first if all the councillors had them. After the motion had been passed unanimously, Cr Taylor said that she had not had time to read the minutes before voting.

Cr Buchanan agreed and asked for time to read them but was refused by Mr Hindmarsh, who said that she had already been given the opportunity. Cr Buchanan said that he had asked the councillors if they had the minutes, not if they had read them. During this exchange, Cr Alpers had been speaking to another councillor. He was again called to order and warned that if there were any more disturbances he would be asked to leave the meeting. He left voluntarily but as he walked out he talked over Mr Hindmarsh to other councillors, and was told once again that he was out of order.

However, Cr Taylor continued to make reference to the council’s failure to buy

Bowenvale or parts of it after the departure of Cr Alpers.

The council had received a letter from Mr G. D. Van Bree in May expressing concern at the lack of bridle paths and places to ride horses in Christchurch, and the meeting was asked to approve a recommendation that he be advised that the council was aware of the problem and hoped in future to buy more reserve land.

Cr Taylor said that the recommendation was “inappropriate and hypocritical after the decision not to buy the Bowenvale land,” and said that she intended to persuade the concil to allow horses on existing reserves, as of right.

She said she deplored the “negative attitude” shown by some councillors to recreational activity. She moved that Mr Van Bree be asked to pursue his complaint further by writing again to the council.

Cr Buchanan seconded the motion saying that she was interested in buying more land for reserves but at prices the council could afford.

Mr Hindmarsh said that he found it extraordinary that she would second a motion “so pin-pricking as to be ludicrous” and Cr R. Simcock said that such “frustration was not worth replying to.” The amendment was lost.