Some Waimairi Rates Up, And Others Down

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30471, 19 June 1964, Page 12

Some Waimairi Rates Up, And Others Down

Increases in general rates, ranging from Is Id to 7s 6d per £lOOO capital value, were decided on by the Waimairi County Council last evening in six of its nine ridings. It is estimated that the rates will produce £174,337, compared with £157,572 last year.

The increases will apply to the Styx, Belfast, Fendalton, Harewood, Wairarapa, and Avonhead ridings. The general rates for the Marshland, Papanui, and Middleton ridings will remain the same as last year’s.

However, the total rates in the sewered areas of the Marshaland, Wairarapa. and Avonhead ridings and the complete Fendalton and Middleton ridings will be from 1 per cent to 2.7 per cent lower than last year. This has been brought about by the reduced Drainage Board sewerage maintenance and loan rates which are applicable to these areas. There will be no change in the special rate for the county water supply, but the sanitation rate has been increased from £3 2s to £3 16s a year. These are expected to produce a total of £57,500, compared with last year’s figure of £47,000. The council will also collect rates on behalf of the North Canterbury Catchment Board, the Christchurch Transport Board, the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board, and the Drainage Board amounting to more than £230,000. This is about £30,000 more than last year. The county’s total rateable value has increased from £46,973,710 to £49,879,190. There are an additional 500 rateable properties this year. Chairman’s Statement Every endeavour had been made to keep the rates as low as possible, said the chairman (Mr J. I. Colligan). “The need for these increases is in the main attributable to the development which is taking place in these ridings and the demand for more amenities,” he said. “Most ridings have over the last few years found it necessary to resort to loan finance, so that necessary road works such as provision of footpaths, channels, and reconstruction and sealing of roads can be provided within a reasonable time of housing development taking place. “It would be impossible to meet such costs from rating revenue without creating an accumulation of works which would have to wait many years before the necessary finance was available. It is therefore a question of weighing up the interest charges on loan finance against the convenience and benefits gained by residents.” Mr Colligan made particular mention of the fact that the county water rate was the same as for the previous financial year. “Having regard to the recent increases imposed by the Christchurch City Council, our rate must be the lowest in New Zealand for areas which have a substantial population,” he said.

“Another vote of metropolitan Christchurch interest is the amount provided for maintenance and development of recreational reserves. The figure for maintenance is £19,000 and for development £126,958, in total £145,958. Crown Grants

“On the question of additional Crown grants in lieu of rates this council does not gain to any appreciable. extent, because of the Government’s decision not to pay grants on educational properties and hospitals. It would have been thought that if institutions such as prisons qualified for grants then universities should also pay,” said Mr Colligan. The council’s estimated expenditure in the general, ridings and loans accounts is £599,000, compared with £458,538 last year. More than £lOO,OOO has been set aside for improvements to parks and reserves. Another major item of ex-

penditure is the county water supply, which will require £69,075 —an increase of £4OOO. Fluoridation of the water supply will be brought into effect as soon as the necessary equipment arrives, and £15,000 has been set aside to meet this cost.

The county plans to spend £36,000 on main roads, bridges, and street lighting, compared with £42,300 last year. This year only one small bridge is to be built in the county. Last year two bridges, one costing £lO,OOO, were constructed. More In Salaries Administration charges have been estimated at £55,788 (£51,689), the main item of which is salaries totalling £43,384 (£38,135). Of an estimated income of £89,352 (not including rates), the main items are building permits £11,500, National Roads Board subsidies £17,677; and plant account £36,000. Last year, the county estimated it would receive £86,782, but received only £76,710, National Roads Board subsidies being about £6OOO lower than expected. The rates and estimated expenditures for 1964-65, with last year’s figures in parenthesis, for the county’s nine ridings are as follows: Styx Riding Rates.—l.o9l92d (1.00807 d in the £, to produce £8634 (£7833). Reading subsidies, £2683 (£2524). Total estimated expenditure, £11,229 (£8317); actual expenditure for 1963-64, £10,543. On a property valued at £l5OO the rates this year will be £l2 5s Bd, compared with £lO 17s last year. This is an Increase of £1 8s Bd, or 13.2 per cent. Marshland Riding Rates.—,B6ls3d (,86153d) in the £. to produce £7214 (£6926). Reading subsidies, £1406 (£1551). Total estimated expenditure, £9625 (£8317); actual expenditure for 1963-64, £7548. On a non-sewered property out of the Transport Board's area valued at £3OOO, the rates this year will be £l7 17s 9d. compared with £l6 15s 3d last year. This is an increase of £1 2s 6d, or 6.7 per cent. For a property of the same value on the sewer and in the Transport Board’s area, the rates this year will be £29 15s sd, compared with £3O Ils 2d last year, a decrease of 15s 9d, or 2.6 per cent. The increase in the nonsewered area is caused by the Drainage Board's land and stormwater rate and the council’s sanitation rate, while the decrease in the sewered area has been brought about by the board's reduction in its sewer maintenance and loans rate. Harewood Riding Rates.—,Bs92sd (.77419d) in the £, to produce £21,406 (£16,710). Reading subsidy, £4161 (£4005). Total estimated expenditure, £27,998 (£21.095); actual expenditure for 1963-64, £20,754.

On a non-sewered property out of the Transport Board area valued at £3OOO, the rates this year will be £l7 17s 4d, compared with £l5 13s 6d last year. This is an increase of £2 3s 10d, or 14 per cent. For a property of the same value on the sewer and in the board’s area the rates will be £3O 0s lid, compared with £2B 14s lid last year. This represents an increase of £1 6s, or 4.5 per cent. Belfast Riding * Rates.—,9l99Bd (,82970d) in the £, to produce £9292 (£7911). Reading subsidy, £2030 (£1581). Total estimated expenditure, £11,964 (£9711); actual expenditure for 1963-64, £9225. On a property valued at £3OOO the rates this year will be £lB 12s 6d, compared with £l6 7s 3d last year. This will be an increase of £2 5s 3d, or 13.8 per cent.

Fapanui Riding Rates.—,924ssd (,92455d) in the £, to produce £16,196 (£15,607). Roading subsidy, £3439 (£3918). Total estimated expenditure, £21,003 (£19,615); actual expenditure for 1963-64. £17,785. On a property valued at £3OOO. the rates this year will be £2B 15s Id, compared with £2B 10s 2d last year. This Is an increase of 4s lid, or 1 per cent, which has been brought about by the council's increased sanitation rate where it applies.

Wairarapa Riding Rates.—.B272ld (.78353d) in the £. to produce £27,720 (£24.809). Roading subsidy, £4950 (£5308).-

Total estimated expenditure £82,887 (£31,530); actual expend! ture for 1963-64, £30,766.

On a sewered property valued at £3OOO, the rates this year will be £29 7s, compared with £29 Ils lid last year. This is a decrease of 4s lid, or 1 per cent. For a property of the same value in the small section of the riding which is not on the sewer, the rates will increase from £lB 10s lid to £l9 10s, an increase of 4.5 per cent. Middleton Riding Rates.—.7B63ld (.78631d) in the £, to produce £19,766 (£18,072). Roading sudsidy, £4521 (£3870). Total estimated expenditure, £24,871 (£21,942); actual expenditure for 1963-64, £21,520. On a property valued at £3OOO. the rates this year will be £2B 16s Bd, compared with £29 12s 5d last year. This is a decrease of 15s 9d, or 2.7 per cent. Fendalton Riding Rates.—.779B7 (,76737d) in the £, to produce £41,015 (£39,808). Roading subsidy, £7183 (£8440). Total estimated expenditure, £47,258 (£47,595): actual expenditure for 1963-64, £47,125. On a property valued at £4OOO, the rates this year will be £3B 6s lOd, compared with £39 3s 6d. This is a decrease of 16s Bd. Avonhead Riding Rates.— 83144 d (.75355d) in the £, to produce £23,094 (£19,896). Roading sudsidy, £4668 (£3857). Total estimated expenditure, £28,943 (£25,010); actual expenditure for 1963-64, £24,023.

On a non-sewered property valued at £3OOO, the rates will be £23 7S, compared with £2l 12s lid last year. This is an increase of £1 14s Id, or 7.9 per cent. Rates for a similar property on the sewer will be £29 7s 9d, which is a decrease of 4s 2d, or 1 per cent.