CANTERBURY COUNTIES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30092, 28 March 1963, Page 8

CANTERBURY COUNTIES

Decision On Remits Ward H of the New Zealand Counties’ Association held its annual meeting in Christchurch yesterday. Among the remits the meeting approved for suboiiaaon to the national conference was one urging representations to the Government that rates be paid on land farmed by the Government. Mr J. H. Weaver, the Paparua County Council chairman, said the Paparua Prison was an example an area of 1800 acres with an unimproved value of £lOO,OOO. being fanned for profit. Another Paparua County Council remit approved to go forward was one proposing that the Railways Department conform with the provisions of the Counties’ Act relating to land subdivision including provision of a reserve contribution. Mr Weaver said that in a recent subdivision of 18 acres of valuable industrial land the Railways Department disclaimed liability for a reserve contribution, whereas a private sub-divider of the same land would have been called on to contribute atx>ut £6OOO. Pay For Councillors

An Oxford County Council remit which was approved was that payment flor councillore should be mandatory. The meeting voted against a Waimairi County Council remit proposing that the Counties’ Act be amended to provide for the payment to county chairmen of am annual allowance on a county population basis, in line with the scale for mayors of boroughs. The Rating Act, 1925, should be amended, said a Waimairi remit, to provide that all reserves, domains and land set aside for recreational purposes should be nom-rateable —until the Government felt it could pay rates on Government property. Power to prohibit the erection of hordings is sought in another Waimairi remit.

A Rangiora County Council remit urges that the fee for inspecting a camping ground be raised from 10s to £5 to ensure that the inspection is carried out by a competent officer.

The meeting approved a remit from the Wairewa County Council proposing amendment of the Noxious Weeds Act, 1950, to provide that in the case of unformed paper roads fenced on one side only, the adjoining owner should be responsible for cleaning noxious weeds from the whole road adjoining his land.