RIVER CONTROL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 250, 30 July 1940, Page 4

RIVER CONTROL.

RATES IMPOSED IN ALLENTON.

OBJECTIONS TO 1 BE LODGED. On the ground that the classification of land under the river control scheme places too great a burden on the ratepayers of the Allenton area, objections are to be lodged with the Magistrate’s Court by ratepayers and by the Ashburton Borough Council. Though it has come into the Borough Allenton remains a, part of the Ashburton Diver District, and is consequently liable to pay its proportion of the capital cost of £5500 which was borrowed by tho Ashburton County Council in its capacity as a Diver Board, besides having.to pay interest and annual maintenance charges. Under the provisions of the Diver Board Act the land concerned lias been classified and grouped into three classes varying from land most likely to benefit by the work to the land which will benefit only slightly. This classification has boon completed by Mr H. G. Boyds, of Christchurch, and on July C the County Council, as a Diver Board advertised that the. classification was open to inspection and that any ratepayer who disapproved of the‘classification had the right of filing an objection in the Magistrate’s Court with-in-28 days. The appeal would be heavd by the Magistrate, whose decision would be final.

The portion of the river district in the County was classified some time ago and no objection was lodged. The County Council proposes to divide the rates among the three classes of land in the proportion of 4 to- Class A, 2 to Class B -and 1 to Class C. That is, the land benefiting most pays four tunes the rates of the land least affected.

So far no objections have been lodged and the Borough Council has decided that a public meeting should be called for to-morrow evening to acquaint the Allenton ratepayers of the position and to enable them to appeal against the classifications if they are not satisfied.

The proposed basis for the rates is on the capital value, and this value in the Allenton area is about 30 per cent of the whole area, so that on the present classification Allenton would have to pay 30 per cent of the rates. Next Monday is the last day on which objections may be lodged at the Court.