Management had known for 18 months that the lease would expire but chose to do nothing. It was only after an eleventh hour fight back by residents’ associations, the Community Board and the ward’s two Councillors that the Service Centre was saved from extinction. Those working in the City Council should have remembered that when the forced merger of the successful and well regarded Riccarton Borough Council took place in 1989, Riccarton was promised a service centre as “compensation”.

Today two staff work at the Clarence Rd Centre and they provide the opportunity and convenience for residents to make a wide range of payments – city council rates, dog registration, slipway licence, water accounts, litter infringement, building warrants of fitness, amusement device, parking infringements, health licensing, offensive trade. The staff are particularly good at assisting people with making rate rebate applications – they are able to witness signatures as officers of Council – and can give information and supply forms related to building or city housing applications, drainage plan and property file requests. They are able to process matters regarding the wheelie bins for you (new or replacement bins) and they deal with Requests for Service such as when residents want potholes fixed or street lights working. Also at the Centre there is a wide range of brochures and booklets available on current promotions and events within the city, adult and children leisure facilities, school holiday programmes, walking booklets, for example. It is at the Service Centre that we can find very important information on making submissions to Council or ECAN and the forms on which to make those submissions. There is also available a photocopying service in A3 or A4 black and white.

The staff at the Service Centre are there to help and they try to make your dealings with Council stress-free so call in to the Centre between 9am and 5pm (Monday to Friday).