CATCHMENT BOARDS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 236, 18 July 1947, Page 2

CATCHMENT BOARDS

PROPOSAL FOR FLAT UNIFORM RATE COUNTY COUNCILS’ OPPOSITION (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 17. County councils are strongly opposed to catchment boafds having authority to strike a general flat rate. This was decided hy the • New Zealand Counties’ Association conference to-day. The president (Mr W. G. Belton) said the and Rivers Control Council had made a proposal for a uniform rate over the whole of at catchment board district, with the rate . not exceeding Jd in the ■£, and to be included in the existing maximum rate permissible of lid in the £.

The rate could cftily be used for soil conservation work, afforestation, the purchase of land for soil conservation, the destruction of pests, flood forecasting, fire-fighting and prevention, the initial purchase of mechanical plant and equipment, and river protection works limited to a maximum of £250, including subsidy, on any one work in any one year, the council stated. The principle of a small uniform rate had been endorsed by the Municipal Association, which recognised that the only benefit to urban areas would be indirect. “The present administration rate of 1-Sd in the £ is a reasonable rate to be paid by those who derive no direct benefit,” said one delegate. “There is a fear that catchment boards are going to be a bigger drag on local bodies than hospital boards have been,” said Mr W. McKay, of Pohangina, “but they have a definite and important job, and do not want to be antagonistic to local bodies. Half New Zealand' is in, the 11 catchment board areas at present, and I think all the country should be covered by catchment boards. • Must Save Country “The boards were set up long after they should have been, and we must take a long view of their activities. We have to save our country, and endeavour to leave it to \ur sons in better condition than we found it.” An amendment suggested by Mr C. Y. Kirke, of the Mackenzie County Council, that while opposing any further rating, the association should request the Government to. make finance available to catchment boards for minor work, was lost. Mr Kirlce suggested that the money might be found’ by a small national security tax, by sweepstakes, or by allocations from the Consolidated Fund. “To assist us to fight an enemy outside the country we had national security tax,” he said. “We have an enemy inside the country in soil erosion, and it is fair to suggest a national tax to fight that,” An amendment that the administration rate of l-8d in the £ should atfply to the whole of New Zealand lapsed when it was not seconded.