HARBOUR BOARDS’ PROPOSAL

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24503, 28 February 1945, Page 8

HARBOUR BOARDS’ PROPOSAL

(P;A.) WELLINGTON, February 27. Harbour boards’ work was of a special nature requiring skilled and experienced management and staff and was not allied to that of any other class of local authority, said, the Harbour Boards’ Association of New Zealand m evidence before ? the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government. It therefore expressed the view that the ' present method qf providing finance for 1 harbour boards appeared to be satisfactory. - ' ; ' j, * i. The Harbours Act provided for. the exemption from harbour dues of Government goods not used f6r commercial purposes. It was submitted that as ■ harbour boards were required to provide and ■ maintain -wharves and port facilities, all goods using such facilities should pay equal dues; Local . body rates should be continued to be levied on land and Incomes should- not be taxed for local body purposes.; The harbour boards, which had rating power; ■ considered there : would' be an Improvement if. a universal system of rating was adopted "for sMiilar districts —one system of rating; for, cities and boroughs,, and one system for counties. Generally speaking, the Government . could -borrow money, at a much more favourable rate of interest than local . bodies-and the-loan cost and annual charges to local authorities would be reduced if money could be borrowed by the local authority from the Government, the Government from time to time raising special loans to cover the requirements ,of such local authorities as might require assistance.