RIVER CONTROL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 252, 1 August 1940, Page 2

RIVER CONTROL

CLASSIFICATION OF LAND.

EXPLANATION TO RATEPAYERS. MANY OBJECTIONS SIGNED. The position in regard to the system of rating in Allenton in connection with the river control work was explained to ratepayers of the area at a meeting held in the Allenton School last evening. The Deputy-Mayor (Dr. J .Connor) presided, and he had with him the Town Clerk (Mr R. C. Major) and the Borough Solicitor (Mr L. A. Charles). There was a large attendance, including several members of the Borough Council.

The chairman said it was not the intention to conduct a debate on the subject, hut the Borough Solicitor would set out the position. The chairman outlined the steps that had been taken in setting up the special river district. It had been found that there might -be some heavy burden, and it had been decided that the ratepayers should know the position. Nothing that the County Council had done had been outside the law, Mr Charles said. The Borough Council, however, felt that the rating system was unfair and the meeting had been called not to persuade the people to take any particular measure of protest, but to let them know what their rights were. By means of a map, Mr Charles explained the areas in the classification, and they had to find £5500 toward the cost of the work, which had totalled about £50,000. Maintenance on the whole of the work had to be paid foi all the time, and might be very extensive at some seasons. When Allenton went into the Borough it remained in the River District and liable to the River Board (the County Council) for rates, in the proportions of 4 in Class A land, 2 in Class B, and 1 in Class C. If objection was made to the classification an appeal would have to be lodged with the Magistrate’s Court not later than next Monday. The Borough Council intended to object in regard to land which it held in the area. Position Willi Not Improve. Had all the land been rural land the classification would have been fair, hut because of the difference in average values, £6OO an acre in Allenton to £25 in the County, Allenton would have to pay 24 times as much rates. If itcould be shown that Allenton did not receive 24 times the benefit of the other land there was ground for appeal. The trouble was that the County had overlooked that Allenton was a residential area while it rated in the County on unimproved value. Floods would not greatly damage residential properties, but it was a very different tiling when the same floods swept over cropping land, and the floods usually occurred in January and February. The Allenton capital value was 31.6 per cent., and it would have to pay just oyer 30 per cent of the rates (though it was only 2 per cent of the whole area, concerned). The County intended to collect £490 this year, Allenton’s share being about £147. This would be almost twice as large next year. The capital value of Allenton would increase greatly year by year, while the Comity would stand still, so that Allenton would, under the present system, pay higher and higher as the years went by. As there had not been any objections, it appeared that the people did not realise the position and so the Borough Council had decided to place the position before them. INb one was forced to make objection, but they had to make up their minds soon and lodge their objections in the Court before 4 o’clock next (Monday. In other similar cases in the North Island, the rating was a uniform one and this was a very fair way. Forms of objection had been prepared by the Town Clerk and he had agreed to fill in for ratepayers details of the properties concerned. Copies of the form would be available at several places in the district, Mr Charles said. If appeal was not made now, the ratepayers would lose their right on the question for all time. The chairman said the Borough might be able to persuade the County Council to change its system, hut in the meantime there were only two or three days left in which to lodge objection. Several questions, were answered and speakers expressed thanks to the Borough Council and Mr Charles for the work they had done in bringing the question before the people. Many objection forms were filled in at the meeting.