"Local Body Amalgamation Means More Efficiency”

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27993, 13 June 1956, Page 7

"Local Body Amalgamation Means More Efficiency”

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, June 12. , I Amalgamation of county areas 'would I lengthen county councils and enabls I fjjem to employ men and machines ■ _ ore competently, said the M nister /or Internal Affairs, Mr Smith, wun . I opening the Counties’ Association conI in Auckland this evening. I “There is undoubtedly a case for I combining numbers of weaker local I todies into stronger units,” he said. I >jt must mean better roads more quickly, for one thing. One of the primary objects m setting up the Local government Commission in 1947 was taat it should investigate and recomjjjend am-r.lgama ion. realignment of tounda ies. and so on. -Amalgamation is a difficult local matter. I believe it can contribute much, but I don’t be’ieve in amalgamation ju l l for the sake of amalgamation. In some instances the case for jocal and social interests may be so important as to warrant localised control at an extra cost and with less efficiency.” Need for Planning Mr Smith said he believed that farming districts and particularly genii-urban settlements in country districts needed planned and co-ordin-gted development just as much as urban areas, “or else the cry in another 50 years time will be ‘Why on earth was this allowed to happen?’ ” Although county councils were given powers in 1954 to carry out town and country planning, less than half had taken any action toward fulfilling their obligations. “In view of the fact that something like 3COO acres of farming land goes out of production each year for housing and everybody is well aware of the difficulty and cost of providing essential services.” said the Minister, -it is obvious that on some body must fall the duty of sensible planning, both now and for th' future. “I am told these ’ councils which have taken the job seriously have put forward sound district schemes. All I can ask is that every county should have a look and ask itself whether it is falling down on a most essential job.” Mr Smith said that the basic duties of a county council were toward reading and bridging now that responsibility for drainage, river control, and power supply had passed into other hands. Great Changes “But this is widened,” he said, “because the great change in settlement over the last two or three decades has meant —and will mean more so—that county councils must face in the more confined and semi-urban areas that have grown within their boundaries, the dates of providing amenities that are more naturally associated with municipalities than of counties.

“Yours is the duty. I think, to face the fact that this urban growth adjacent to cities or boroughs is in your counties. You must assist their development or you will find that unless they receive the necessary attention from health and social viewpoints they will demand the right of self-govern-ment. At that stage, of course, the County would be deprived of revenue. *1 am quite sure that the question

nne ■ devel ; P me nt to counties is one that is going to require our fullest ™ d „ m ? st earnest consideration for years to come. I can assure y u my department will co-operate , ln f °™ u !3tmg any proposals for l.e, strengthening of this most important aspect of county local govern-