FARM LANDS IN CITY AREA

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21384, 29 January 1935, Page 11

FARM LANDS IN CITY AREA

♦ REBATE ON RATES COUNCIL TO APPLY FOR * COMPENSATION The 12g per cent, rebate on farm land rates, provided for in a finance bill passed during the last session of Parliament, and its effect on the finances of the Christchurch City Council, was the subject of a report by the city treasurer presented to the council at its meeting last night by the finance committee. The treasurer explained that the amount of rates levied on urban lands by the City Council on its own behalf up to March 31 next was £B7O 6s 4d. The committee recommended that the council should apply to the Minister for Finance for £IOB 15s 9d, 12-J- per cent, of the amount, and this course was agreed on.

The treasurer stated that city ratepayers whose properties were included in the urban farm lands roll were entitled to a refund or rebate of 124 per cent, of rates levied by the city on its own account. No rebate or refund could be made in respect of the rates levied by other local authorities but collected by the city. To enable the council to carry out the provisions of the act it was necessary for it to furnish the Minister for Finance, in a form to be approved by him, a statement certified as correct by the Mayor pursuant to a resolution of the council showing, in the case of lands that were included in a farm land roll, the aggregate amount of rates made and levied by the council on its own account for the current financial year on all lands included in that roll. The subsidy that the council might receive was £ 108 15s 9d, which was to be paid not later than March 31 to the ratepayers concerned for the current financial year. The section of the act quoted "land," and a doubt had arisen_ as to whether rates levied on capital value, value of improvements, and annual value were wholly subject to the rebate or refund. The rates affected were hospital and charitable institutions rate, fire brigade rate, water rate, and uniform fee.