Twenty Twizel houses won by ballot

Press, 5 February 1986, Page 3

Twenty Twizel houses won by ballot

Twenty lucky people throughout the South Island yesterday joined the growing cluster of private property owners in Twizel. Their names came up in the latest and largest ballot for homes in the former hydro-electric town. The Ministry of Works and Development has now disposed of more than 100 bourses in the town since the Twizel project began to wind 'down. Another 20 are expected to be advertised within the next month. The growing interest, in the area as a retirement or holiday retreat, or even as a target for speculators, was reflected in the number of applications, 898, for the latest batch of 20 houses. The houses are 720 sq ft and 860 sq ft, and were priced at $17,500 and

$20,500 respectively. They consist of two or three bedrooms, lounge, kitchen, bathroom and, in some cases, garages. The sizes of the sections vary. The draw was conducted by the Ministry’s district property officer, Mr Malcolm Williams, and was made in Christchurch on the Police Department’s electronic lottery machine. Most of the successful applicants live in Christchurch or Dunedin. Another nine. people could count themselves unlucky; their . names were drawn while there were still properties available, but their listed preferences had already been allocated. They will be put on a reserve list to be referred to in the event of default. One elderly Christ-

church couple were among the 40 people at the ballot and heard their names called. They were reticent about publicity but said they might consider Twizel for retirement when they got used to the idea of owning property there. A telephone call from* “The Press” broke the news to another Christchurch couple of their success in the draw. Mrs C. J. Lynch, of Mount Pleasant, said that she and her husband had no plans to move to Twizel but had considered it worth trying for one of the houses to use as a holiday home. The successful applicants and the houses they drew, were:

H. B. Kerr (Christchurch), 24 Tekapo Drive; P. A. and B. H. Wilson (Invercargill), 13 Duskey Place; M. E. Jones (Christchurch), 22 Tekapo Drive; Lynda Martin (Twizel), 249 McKenzie Drive; G. M. Stewart (Bannockburn, Otago), 76 Tekapo Drive; J. I. Holloway (Dunedin), 21 Hopkins Road; M. J. Dixon (Dunedin), 22 Jollie Road; E. A. Drayton (Christchurch), 18 Tekapo Drive; K. A. McCracken (Dunedin), 24 HalUweU Road, M/ A. M. Sillars (Christchurch), 10 Jollie Road; K. E. Gray (Christchurch), 18 Jollie Road; D. Taylor (Dunedin), 23 Tekapo Drive; W. Davidson (Port Chalmers), 29 Tekapo Drive; C. J. Lynch (Christchurch), 51 Hopkins Road; Maria Bastings (Christchurch), 12 Jollie Road; G. Robertson (Christchurch), 41 Hopkins Road; G. Henshaw (Dunedin), 26 Hopkins Road; J. Payne (Dunedin), 25 Tekapo Drive; G. E. Butler (Temuka), 170 McKenzie Drive; S.A.M.C.O. and Associates (Bluff), 1 Falstone Crescent.