CANDIDATE’S VIEWS Inquiry Wanted Into Alternative To Rates

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32296, 14 May 1970, Page 20

CANDIDATE’S VIEWS Inquiry Wanted Into Alternative To Rates

A worth-while project for the Christchurch Drainage Board, as the authority responsible for collecting a major part of the rates in Christchurch, would be to initiate action to establish a commission to investigate the sources of finance generally, Mr N. W. Whyte, the Citizens’ Association candidate for the board’s by-election on Saturday, said in his policy statement.

Mr Whyte said that environmental experts' throughout the world were becoming increasingly concerned about the pollution problem, and the board, as an anti-pollution body, must associate itself with the trend. However, this and other work cost a lot of money and at present all the cost fell on property owners, many of whom were pensioners who had saved during their working lives to achieve a home of their own in which to retire. They were on fixed incomes and were faced with rising living costs, not the least of which were the demands of a growing city on the ratepaying population. Alternative forms of financing must be found and the most practical seemed to be a tax paid by every adult member of the community on a flat rate from an easily-collec tible source.

The board had a great deal of urgent work, and among the many pressing problems

was amelioration of the smell nuisance at Aranui, he said. “Since I decided to stand for the seat I have made it my business to read the reports and complaints about the smell problem,” he said. “There is no doubt that there are smells and that the residents are entitled to have something done about them ’’ If he was elected one of his first tasks would be to endeavour to see that whatever steps the board was advised could be taken should be put in hand and given priority. However, this was not ths only issue at the election. The board had a tremendous programme, and over the next three years would spend about ssm, much of which would be on stormwater relief, and the need for pushing this work forward was obvious. He was sure that an accounting training would assist him in making decisions on how the funds should be managed to the best advantage. -