Deposit On Beer Bottles Sought

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31088, 17 June 1966, Page 7

Deposit On Beer Bottles Sought

(New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, June 15. The New Zealand Counties’ Association today called for legislation to provide for a substantial deposit on glass containers to eliminate roadside hazards.

Mr R. F. Strawbridge, chairman of the Matamata County Council, said at the association’s conference that, “the bottle menace is still very much with us, but you see very few soft drink bottles or flagons or milk bottles on which there is a comparatively large deposit. “This is evidence enough that the proposed deposit would stop the problem of glass on roadsides,” he said.

Mr J. E. Etheridge, the Inangahua County Clerk, said he opposed any move to increase the price of consumer goods. Among other remits passed were several calling for alterations to National Roads Board subsidies and payments.

The conference urged the board to pay for maintenance of public conveniences at picnic places on State highways, to accept the cost of salaries for clerks of works on county road bridges as a direct cost, to raise the “on costs” rate above the present 3 per cent, to refund the actual cost of supervision on delegated State highways and to subsidise

wages payments above award rates but not above Ministry of Works rates. Other remits sought permission for local authorities to charge a membership subscription for use of the Country Library Service and an amendment to legislation to prevent councillors being disqualified from holding office until all appeals had been heard. The association will seek control of all subdivisions. At present county councils have power only over subdivisions of less than 10 acres.