DECENTRALISATION OF GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27912, 8 March 1956, Page 14

DECENTRALISATION OF GOVERNMENT

HARBOUR BOARD OPINION SOUGHT A reply to a previous, unanswered request by the Mount Herbert County Council for an expression of oninion by the Lyttelton Harbour Board concerning a suggestion for the decentralisation of Government powers was greeted with loud laughter by board members when the council's memorandum was placed before them yesterday. The board’s secretary (Mr A. L. Burk) explained that the council’s first request had been received but, after discussion with a former chairman of the board, Mr F. E. Sutton, it had been decided that it should be withheld. “We are represented on the South Island Local Bodies’ Association, where that matter was brought up,” said Mr E. C. Bathurst. “Moving away from Wellington will come eventually of its own accord.” “There is a case, now that the population of New Zealand is growing, to have decentralisation of certain Government functions,” said Mr G. Manning. “Another development that should take place is the increasing of local body functions —not the number of local bodies. I would qualify—with subsidies from the general Government to carry on the new functions.” Mr Bathurst: That is right. Mr Manning: In England the trend is to pass duties to local bodies, and then to subsidise them to carry out those functions. “You should have a slant on the motive behind this,” said Mr F. W. Freeman. “The Mount Herbert County Council is in a cleft stick with the demands of their ratepayers, and they cannot get any money at all. They feel that if they were a South Island show, they would be able to get subsidy in lumps that would suit their needs.”