THROWN OUT

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30827, 12 August 1965, Page 1

THROWN OUT

Tokoroa BUI (Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON. August 11. Parliament today rejected the Tokoroa Town Empowering Bill, on the recommendation of the Local Bills Committee.

The legislation would have replaced the present town committee of volunteers, which administers Tokoroa within the Matamata county, with a novel “county borough” committee. partappointed, part-elected and with a mayor receiving an annual allowance of up to £750.

The mayor would have been one of the Matamata county councillors representing the Tokoroa riding and would have been appointed by the committee, not elected by the townspeople. The proposed new committee of up to 12 would have included three members appointed by the board of N.Z. Forest Products, which has a big plant nearby. Mr A. J. Faulkner (Opp.. Roskill) said Tokoroa was the second fastest-growing centre in Waikato, and within a few years would be a city.

Although the townspeople apparently wanted to retain formal ties with Matamata county there was no reason why the town should not be constituted a borough. It could continue to pay charges for the hire of county experience, ‘“know-how.” and equipment “Unusual Place” As it was, the bill offended both major concepts ; of local government in New i Zealand—the Counties and Municipal Acts. ' Mayors should be elected. ; not appointed, said Mr Faulkner, and no company which ' existed solely for the profit of ' its shareholders should have special representation in the administering of services for a community.

Mrs R. M. Stevenson (Govt., Taupo) said she and the sponsors of the legislation would be disappointed at its fate. “It does represent an unuusual request,” she said, “but, then, Tokoroa is an unusual place which has expanded in an unusual way to a population now between 13,000 and 14,000. Had there been no N.Z. Forest Products. Tokoroa would still be a very small village.”