Waimairi View Of Rating Of Government Property

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30270, 24 October 1963, Page 17

Waimairi View Of Rating Of Government Property

It would be a far more practical method of making additional moneys available to local bodies if the Government paid rates on all its properties rather than the citizens tax as suggested by the Commission on Local Authority Finance, the chairman of the Waimairi County Council. (Mr J. I. Colligan) said in his report to the council’s annual meeting last evening. "Payment of rates on Government property would

mean that local government would then receive a fairer proportion of the over-all taxes,” he said. “This applies in particular to the urban areas.”

Mr Colligan said the county still retained its position as the second most populated county in New Zealand and the eighth largest (on a population basis) of all territorial authorities in the country. The capital valuation of the county at April 1 last, Mr Colligan said, was £51.793,750. of which £46,974,290 was rateable. He said he believed the valuation would be higher, because a number of schools and other Government buildings had not yet been valued. Existing values in some cases had also not been increased to cover extensions made since the last Government revaluation of the county. "This position arises through the Government not taking out building permits for its own work, and is in the main only caught up with at the five-yearly review of valuations. The last ’revaluation of this county was effective from April 1, 1961.

"Why I am making an issue on this point is because of the Government’s statement tha t it is giving consideration to the question of payment of rates on Government properties. If this is to be the case, then I would suggest that the Government should be required to take out building permits for all buildings which it erects in a local authority's area.” said Mr Colligan.