THREE COUNTIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 194, 18 August 1933, Page 12

THREE COUNTIES.

SCHEME FOR NORTH. AMALGAMATION MOVE. PROPOSALS TO CONFERENCE. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHANGAREI, this day. A scheme to form the nine counties in North Auckland into three by a grouping of areas was submitted to a conference of the North Auckland' Counties' Association at Whangarei to-day. The suggested grouping was:— 1. That the Rodney County be grouped with the Waitemata County, making an area of 1081 square miles, a population of 14,010 and a capital value of £6,098,502. 2. That the counties of Whangarei, Hobson and Otamatea be grouped to form one county in the middle north, with an area of 2113 square miles, a population of 22,020 and a capital value of £9,155,900. 3. That the counties of Bay of Islands, Hokianga, Whangaroa and Mangonui be grouped to form one county in the Far North, with an area of 2633 square miles, a population of 24,890, and a capital value of £5,363,950. Distinct Boundary Lines.

In the movement towards amalgamation, it was stated in a report, the Nortl of Auckland territory was fortunate ir having two distinct boundary lines foi larger counties. There was one natural dividing line south of Kaiwaka, following the present southern boundary oi the Otamatea County. Below this division, commercial and social activities were naturally drawn southward. The other natural dividing line was located generally along the existing northern boundaries of the counties of Hobson and Whangarei. If these two suggested geographical lines were accepted a very definite and important step would be achieved, it was added, which would clear the way for consideration of the second phase of the problem. The second step for consideration was the most suitable grouping of the various units of local government. Boroughs and kindred bodies, such as town boards, it was suggested, should be distinct from rural governing bodies. County Organisation. For the middle north the grouping proposals were:—-(1) That the Whangarei borough, the town districts, of Hikurangi, Kamo, Onerahi and the Whangarei harbour district be controlled by a major body and administered by special statutory authority. (2) That the Dargaville borough remain as a separate entity. (3) That the hospital districts of Whangarei and Eiaipara be combined to form one district. (4) That the Whangarei, Hobson and Otamatea Counties be- combined to form one county with internal administering bodies. • It was suggested that the combined county- >be organised into three ridings, each existing county to form a riding, and-to retain-its identity, together with its assets, property, machinery, etc., for a period of not less than three years after the amalgamation became effective; existing, ridings, it was proposed, should be abolished. In regard to rating, the report stated that a uniform general rate should be levied separately over each of the three ridings of the proposed new county, that a uniform hospital rate be levied over the whole county, that special area loan rates, drainage area rates, harbour district rate, etc., remain as at present leviable and collectable over each separate or special rating district or area. . '

In the middle _county there would remain no less than 104 individual rates. Under existing legislation no alteration in the direction of consolidation could be made in the case of 89 of these rates which were special area loan rates, and the question of consolidating all loans into one riding loan with a uniform special rate over the whole riding was likely to present itself for serious consideration if administrative costs were to be scaled down. State and Local Overlapping. The report stated that, so far as the scheme outlined.was concerned,; the cost of administering -the. greater, area would certainly be .no less > than the present total cost of administering; the several governing bodies concerned. Government control, through the. Public Works Department, oyer -the same area as local bodies, was said to ba responsible for a very heavy' administrative expenditure, and it was submitted that the time had arrived when "local control should be reduced to one."administrative authority, abolishing overlapping. If there was to be a reduction in -general administrative costs, 'then it could be achieved only through the whole of the expenditure, national as well as local, being undertaken'.by' the greater local authorities, Government ) expenditure •on rail* ways and public buildings, being excepted. In this case the saving would be more national than local. To maintain two expending authorities in one district when one could and should undertake the. whole of the responsibility was a noticeable feature in present day administration.

The suggested grouping and internal organisation could succeed in achieving its objective only if the whole of the expenditure on'roads and bridges, both national and ■ local/ was placed in its hands. The process ofc creating internal regulations and requirements dealing with public expenditure and local control, was stated to have reached large proportions_ and to be responsible for much additional; expense. In many instances Departmental requirements appeared to be far too elaborate for the expenditure involved. "