Akaroa Council again to hold postal ballot

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32567, 29 March 1971, Page 5

Akaroa Council again to hold postal ballot

Encouraged by the success of postal balloting in the last triennial election, the Akaroa County Council decided on Friday to use the same voting method again this year.

Many more ratepayers voted by postal ballot in 1968 —B5 per cent of those eligible, compared with 32 per cent in the election in 1965, when ratepayers had to go to polling booths. The council also decided yesterday to split the harbour riding into three new ridings. Three members of present harbour riding—Crs A. S. Gray, C. D. Kay and D. W. MacPhail—live generally in one area of the riding.

This, it was said, gave the impression that the rest of the riding was unrepresented. The council does not intend to increase the representation of the harbour riding. The council agreed to double its contribution to the Commonwealth Games fund and will pay $360 for the current financial year. The county had undertaken to pay $lBO a year for the next five years, which would have made contributions payable well after the Games had finished. The council decided not to support an application by the Christchurch Transport Board to be included in the distribution of funds realised from the local bodies petrol tax. The council considered that the entire proceeds should remain with councils in the region. A letter from the Ministry of Works said that officers of the ministry would discuss with the author of the Akaroa environmental plan (Mr P. J. Beaven) problems relating to its implementation.