AMALGAMATION POLICY

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26671, 4 March 1952, Page 6

AMALGAMATION POLICY

Minister Addresses Local Bodies TEST IN PROVISION OF AMENITIES (N»u) Zealand Press Afsoetntion) ROTORUA, March 8. “t Want to allay any fears that the Government is trying to force amalgamation on local bodies,” said the Ministef of Internal Affairs (Mr W. A. Bodkih), Speaking of the proposed amalgamation bill when he opened (he thirty-ninth annual conference of the Municipal Association at Rotorua tonight. Where a local body was in a position to provide all the amenities required, there was no cause‘for amalgamation, he said. Everyone knew of areas adjacent to cities where people were in, a desperate position for water supply and drainage, and if the provision of these were left to one small local body, progress would be held up. he said. It was in these Cases that ari adjustment of boundaries was being considered. Some local bodies, in an endeavour to obtain amalgamation, had spent thousands of pounds on investigations, said Mr Bodkin. Yet when a poll had been taken in no case had more than 50 per cent, of the electors voted. If it were felt a poll were necessary, why go to the expense of an investigation? The whole thing would be frustrated by ..public apathy. He had in mind, he said, a group of settlers in a county where the council had not the rating potential to provide amenities. The Loans Board would not sanction a loan if an application were made for it. Nobody need fear that local bodies providing all services would be amalgamated for the sake of amalgamation, said Mr Bodkin.