The Lyttelton Harbour Board

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21084, 8 February 1934, Page 8

The Lyttelton Harbour Board

On the motion of Mr H. M. Chrystall the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday set up a committee to consider possible improvements to its present constitution. Mr Chrystall was concerned mainly with securing better representation for the Christchurch trading interests using the port; but the committee will be wise if it interprets its instructions liberally and attempts a wide simplification of the present method of election. Even in a .country where local government is riddled with complexities and anomalies, the constitution of the Lyttelton Harbour Board is remarkable. One of its members is appointed by the Governor-General for a term of three years. Another is elected by payers of harbour dues for a term of two years. Others are elected by city and borough ratepayers for terms of two years. Others are elected by county ratepayers for three years. Others again are elected by ratepayers in combined borough and county districts, some for two years and some for three years. To make matters worse, the county franchise is different from the borough franchise. In the boroughs one ratepayer has one vote, whereas in the counties a ratepayer can have from one to three votes. It cannot be argued that this elaborate and very expensive arrangement serves any useful purpose. The Lyttelton Harbour Board's business would probably be just as efficiently managed and the ratepayers and users of the port as adequately represented if the board members now directly elected were appointed by the local bodies concerned.