Rates Delay By S.A.C. Reduces Collections

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31590, 30 January 1968, Page 3

Rates Delay By S.A.C. Reduces Collections

Delayed payment by the State Advances Corporation of about $245,600 in rates for State houses is blamed by metropolitan area councils as the chief cause of lower collection totals this year, compared with the same date last year. The corporation announced last year that it would delay payment of State house rates until near the final dates for payment without penalty. Council spokesmen said yesterday that they could not see the point in the delay. They pointed out that other Government departments, such as the Post Office and Police, had paid in the normal way the grants they make in lieu of rates on departmental houses. Rates are paid by the corporation on about 4500 pro-

perties in the metropolitan area. The biggest amount is due to the City Council, about $158,000, with $55,000 due to Waimairi, $20,000 to Paparua, $10,900 to Riccarton Borough and $1770 to Heathcote county. February 14 is the last day for the payment jof Waimairi and Paparua county rates. For the City Council, Riccarton Borough and Heathcote County, penalty date is February 28. Yesterday $1,148,146 had been paid on a City Council levy of $5,275,087, or 21.76 per cent. At the same date last year, $1,349,070 or 26.94 per cent of the $5,006,914 levy bad been paid. Riccarton Borough payments yesterday totalled $54,575, or 26 per cent of the $209,680 levy. Heathcote county payments totalled $113,852 out of $250,737, the higher proportion being due to allowance by the council of a 5 per cent discount. Waimairi’s payments totalled $317,781 of the $1,190,639 levy, or 26.7 per cent. About onethird of the rates usually has been paid in previous years at this date. The Paparua County Council’s collection was $132,445, or 29 per cent of the $452,289 levy.