More than 560 want to quit Chch for Heathcote

Press, 15 February 1986, Page 9

More than 560 want to quit Chch for Heathcote

More than 560 Mount Pleasant and Sumner ratepayers have signed a request to change their district out of Christchurch City to Heathcote County. The request from the 565 City ratepayers, residing from Ferrymead to Godley Head, has been sent to the Local Government Commission.

The signatures were submitted voluntarily to the Mount PleasantSumner Rates Action

Committee in response to a newsletter sent to residents, said the group’s chairman, Mr Donald Walker. Mr Walker said the group had not canvassed the area door-to-door. The area covered about 3000 households. A newsletter detailing developments will be distributed this weekend. The Heathcote County Chairman, Mr Oscar Alpers, says the request

emphatically vindicates his council’s stance on local government reform. “Such a strong expression of public opinion has to be heeded by the commission. There can be no doubt the close local contact and service offered by smaller authorities is favoured not only by Heathcote residents but by a significant number in Christchurch City,” he said.

Mr Alpers said he hoped the commission

would honour its statutory obligations to consider the request. It had deferred an earlier request from 11 Huntsbury residents because consideration of it “could have pre-empted the commission’s findings on the over-all review.”

The commission’s proposal for Christchurch, which would be put next week, was only a suggestion, he said. The people of Christchurch would have the last say.