New council lounge comes with Sky | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

THE MAYOR and city councillors
can now watch Sky television
courtesy of the ratepayer, while
relaxing in the lounges of their new
civic building.

Along with Freeview, Sky has
been installed in the mayor's lounge,
the city councillors' lounge and the
main function room.

Chief executive Tony Marryatt
said the technology was to enable
councillors to ''have access to news
information''.

City councillors did not have
access to Sky in their previous
building on Tuam St. The city

 

council would not reveal the cost of
service yesterday.

A call to Sky by The Star found
that the minimum monthly cost for
each decoder was $135.50, not
including installation costs. If they
had three decoders, that equates to
nearly $5000 a year.

Plasma, 58inch televisions in the
councillors' lounge and mayor's
lounge cost $7835 each, with
additional monitors in meeting
rooms and public reception areas.

Hearing loops are also available
for visitors to the council chambers
and committee rooms, along with
wireless access.

 

 

Mr Marryatt said the technology
enabled staff to work efficiently
and ''future proofed the building
for years to come''.

 

 

Waimakariri, Hurunui and
Selwyn District Councils have
few multimedia facilities in
comparison, and none has Sky
television.

Cr Yani Johanson said

 

spending money on Sky was
''over the top''.

''There are groups missing out
on funding who are struggling
and the council's spending money
on that. Their priorities are all

 

wrong,'' he said.

The first city council meeting
in the new chambers was held
last week, and Governor General
Sir Anand Satyanand offically
opened the building on Saturday.