LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25637, 28 October 1948, Page 6

LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION

Opposition To Claims For Amalgamation

FINAL ADDRESSES BY COUNSEL

Claims by the Christchurch City Council for the amalgation with the city of several 'county areas and the absorption of the functions of the Drainage and Tramway Boards were opposed by counsel for the local bodies in their final addresses to the Local Government Commission yesterday. All claimed that the City Council had failed to prove that there would be more efficient administration after amalgamation.

Although the council’s case for expansion of its area into five territorial authorities and the absorption of the two ad hoc authorities might have the virtue of being logical, the commission had to consider whether it was a practicable and feasible scheme, said Dr. A. L. Haslam (for the Tramway Board).

Mr A. F. Wright (for the Drainage Board) said the board had a great record of service. Referring to the board’s application for an extension of its boundaries, he said such an extension was necessary for the efficient drainage of the city, and was not made in an effort to ensure the continued existence of the board.

For' the Waimairi County Council, Mr E. B. E. Taylor suggested that if the commission thought that the areas affected by the City Council’s claims should come into the city the commission should seriously consider the advisability of granting residents in the areas a poll on the question.

TRAMWAY BOARD’S FUTURE

There was a great difference between the Tramway Board’s district and the present city, Dr. Haslam said. The board’s district was 41,240 acres, against 16,788 acres in the city. As had been made clear, the fate of the board depended on the fate of the territorial authorities affected by the City Council’s claims, but there was also a possibility that a poll might be required with uncertain results. “This is not a matter of taking over a small establishment of brief duration,” Dr. Haslam said. “The Tramway Board does not overlap any present council undertaking, and the City Council has no transport tradition behind it.

-The general manager (Mr J. F. Fardell) says the tendency in Britain is not for the amalgamation of ad hoc transport concerns with municipalities. If there is any tendency in local government then it is towards taking from municipalities such trading establishments as they now run and transferring them to boards, commissions. and other organisations of that kind.” The board admitted the. there would be a saving in election costs and in .the nonaria of board members. Dr. Haslam said, but those two rather trifling savings would be more than offset by a charge against the undertaking similar to the £3OOO now charged against the Municipal Electricity Department’s account. No other specific economies that could be effected had been established, he submitted.

Effect on Staff The 3ity Council had disclaimed any intention to reduce staff, though one witness;—not for the council, but “perhaps an unofficial ally”—tentatively suggested that Mr Fardell could be dispensed with, or could take over other duties It was possible that the merger might necessitate an increase c ,r. C. D. W. Sheppard, uad spoken against* onftman rrams and said they held up traffic II his view was the view of the council there would have to be an inCr ws e .“ ' the number of conductors - Whatever organisation controlled the PHO"' transport system in Christchurch. it would be faced with sev,rnalor cost (actors which nothing overcome. Dr, Haslam continued E® “tinned wages, competition with whuS 68 ' geographical layout ■which needed many track miles to serve a scattered population, and

fixed items such as interest, and the state of plant and rolling stock. “It is submitted that amalgamation wouid not attract one more passenger.” he continued. “Throughout this protracted hearing not one constructive proposal has been made by the council in this respect.” Differences between the board and the council on reading and traffic were reasonable differences, the board submitted, and could quite well have arisen between a committee and a council or between two committees of the same local body. There would ba no saving in rates, and no saving in workshops expenses as the board’s workshops and plant were already fully employed. “The ability the board has shown in tjie past to expand beyond the city boundaries, and. if not to anticipate, at least to accelerate development, is something which it is submitted could not have been done by a municipallyrun transport undertaking,” said Dr. Haslam. “Tf j am met with the argument that there will be a merger of the local bodies and that the board’s area and the city will become identi-' cal, then I submit that boundaries do not stay drawn for ever.”

Position of Licensing Authority The board would prefer to see an independent third part- acting as the Metropolitan Transport Licensing Authority, Dr. Haslam saidv It was undesirable that one body should l? both operator and licensing authority, and that would be the case if tramways were controlled bv the City Council. , Dr. Haslam, referring to a sugges“Ol? parts of the Hr Iswell countv which received no benefits from the board should be excluded from the board’s district, said the board realised that there was some justification for the application. It was quite happy t° submit to the commission’s finding Discussing evidence given about the boards accounts. Dr. Haslam said: “In exonerating ourselves we may have cast a reflection on the V done unwittingly. We don t wish to be unjust to someone who was not a party to these proceedings.”

Dr. Haslam concluded his address by referring to the board’s future policy programme. The City Council had not considered it or any alternative. he said, and was prepared to take it over as it vaes. Surely that was a reason for the continued existence of the board, which had prepared the biggest transport scheme ever launched in Christchurch

DRAINAGE BOARD PRAISED

Nearly every witness called by the local bodies had spoken highly of the way in which the Drainage Board carried out its duties, said Mi Wright. However, one n^ s ’ E - L V° ns had criticised the board and had been extravagant and partial m his criticism. He had suggested that the board’s case £ or an extension of its boundaries was at best an attempt to entrench itself in a Better claim for continued existence, Mr Wnght said. “I have the greatest respect for the men who give up time to local government, but I cannot refrain from E£” SSlng strongest disapprobation that a man who has filled important pubr£°® ces should impugn the motives of °, f , a local body particularly a body with the tradition and record of the Drainage Board.” also said that the works committee of the council would not need to sit 20 minutes more to deal with drainage matters, once the merger had said he had attended t t e board and knew of some incentive to hasten an adiournment. “I Wright Wha ‘ ,O ” Mr ui «»“)= * < JJ r r W J' ght s ? ld l ,hat tha City Engineer Lit*?' Comers) really failed to appreciate all the problems with Which the Drainage Board was confronted The board’s • beyond the city boundaries. and if its claims for extension were successful its district would be far greater J£ e P r °P° ?ed city boundaries. If the City Counci’ had to seek ♦u ass . lstanc e of another authority for the drainage of Christchurch there would be no Possible saving, but the Drainage Board could do the whole job if its district was extended. Referring to the provision of sewerage

AS Wew Srighton, Mr Wright said that New Brighton had itself blame for the lack of these amenities. Ihe board had endeavoured to get New Brighton to go into the No 5 area many years ago. To the north, the board wanted to include the Styx river, Mr Wright said lhe provision of an outfall to that river was regarded as essential for the surface drainage of the city. The extension was also sought so that proper steps could be taken for the drainage 01 the important farming district of Marshland, and for the disposal of trade wastes and effluent from Belfast and in contemplation of a suitab le sewerage system for Belfast. ..Witnesses for the City Council had said that the drainage problem in the north was a rural one and could be separated from the city’s drainage scheme. The boards engineer (Mr E. F. Scott), whose views must be given considerable weight, made it clear that no such separation was possible. The proposed extension to the west was designed to take in the built-up residential areas of Hornby. Sockburn, and Islington. The main ground for the proposed extension in the south-west was the need to secure control of the lower reaches of the Heathcote river. Mr Wright said, and in the south there was a need for conriver° Ver the whole wat ershed of the The scheme had been considered by the board for some years and was crystallised in practical form in 1945 when the engineer reported to the board. The topography of Christchurch S - u? u . niquG drainage difficulties. Mr Wright said, and to require that drainage of the city to the north should necessitate the combined efforts of three bodies, with inevitable delays, was absolutely unsatisfactory, he suggested

WAIMAIRI COUNTY’S CASE

The Waimairi County Council apS*^ 6 ” 31 part of the inquiry uith little of the trepidation it had at the opening—in fact it now had complete confidence, said Mr Taylor. There had been claims' that the City Council could administer areas in Waimairi efficiently, but he submitted "when the city has efficiently dealt with all the problems facing it to-day it will be time for it to turn ambitious steps towards further areas. Its requests can then be of conditions then 1

Community of interest” was a hard term to define, but it expressed an idea which was applicable tn the inquiry, Mr Taylor said. If it meant a money payment for services used, then it was not a basis for amalgamation. If it had a wider meaning it must deal with the personal relationships of individuals and could not be confined within any one territory. It was freely admitted that the city provided a number of practical amenities used by people in the surrounding areas *nd from much further afield. It was important to remember that in most instances people using the amenities paid tor them. If more money was needed the charges should be increased, and if capital. was needed for new amenities Waimairi, for one. was happv to contribute.

Waimairi. in its turn, provided amenines for city dwellers, particularly at the week-ends, and made no charge for them. There had been ample evidence of the 20-operation Waimairi had given in matters affecting local bodies in the area, he

said. The City Council had given an assurance some years ago that town planning would never be used as a weapon for amalgamation. Even witnesses for the City Council had agreed that the metropolitan town planning scheme could be achieved without amalgamation. ‘ ‘There are other solutions,” Mr Taylor said after he had referred to evidence of City Council witnesses that an extension of the city’s water supply system was the most efficient way of giving Waimairi a high-pressure water supply. The county could provide a very good high-pressure system of its own. and if it did the ultimate cost would be less than the ultimate cost of joining to the city’s supply. Another alternative was that Riccarton borough’s scheme could be extended. Any criticism of the Citv Council was merely to show that no local body was perfect. Mr Taylor said.

Waimairi had always tried to provide a reasonable standard of amenities at a reasonable cost, and had never attempted to foist expensive schemes on to its ratepayers. “Going through the evidence I find no figures on the administrative costs but a willing acknowledgement that Waimairi’s administration was good and efficient.” Mr Taylor continued. T found nothing to substantiate any claim that the City Council would provide better and cheaper streets and rubbish collection: criticism of our footpaths but nothing to show the cost of wider sealing. Rates reduced? No Increased by £10.600 a year in the area to be brought in. Greater community of interest? No, not necessarilv, but greater contributions."

NO OBJECTIONS TO CLAIM

The fate of the Paparua County depended on the fate of the Riccarton borough and the Middleton and Fendalton r>amgs of the Waimairi County, said Mr C- G. Penlington (for the Paparua County femincfl). tfo objections nad been made by the county to the City Council’s claim that it should absorb the areas of Sockburn and Hornby, he said. While not wishing to lose any areas, the County Council was happy to abide by any decision of the commis ion. The Islington area, however, was considered to be unsuitable for inclusion in the city, and even witnesses for the City Council had shown that they were not wedded to the council's claim for amalgamation of that area.

The New Zealand Refrigerating Company. Ltd., had a large area in Islington, including holding paddocks, which would not be available for residential or industrial development. The city could provide little in the way of real .menities for many years, he submitted The Wigram aerodrome area should be taken over by the city if the Hornby and Sockbu’m areas were amalgamated. For the Halswell County 2ouncil, Mr Penlington said the county did not oppose the amalgamation with the city of the part of its area affected by the City Council’s claim. It realised thai it could not provide all the amenities needed in the area, which, it admitted, was a “spillover” from the city.