Catchment Bd’s rate increased 25 p.c.

Press, Issue 33845, 17 May 1975, Page 3

Catchment Bd’s rate increased 25 p.c.

An increase of 25 per cent in the North Canterbury Catchment Board’s administrative rate, struck over Christchurch City and the 17 other council districts in the board’s area, was announced by the board’s chairman (Dr W. R. Holmes) yesterday.

He gave details of the board’s rates for this financial year after a closed meeting of the board yesterday morning, at which the estimates were approved, and notice given to strike the different rates.

The Waimakariri-Eyre-Cust rivers rate was increased by 50 per cent. Rates were doubled in two of the smaller rating districts — those for the openings of Lake Ellesmere, and for Selwyn River protection work. No increase was made in the Ashley rate, but there was a 50 per cent increase (to yield $845 instead of $550) in the Ashley-Sefton rate, and a 20 per cent increase (from $24,000 to $28,000) in the Halswell River rate. Because the valuations are different in each council district, the board applies rating equalisation to produce the same proportionate revenue with differing rates in each district. UNDERGROUND

Dr Holmes said that the administrative rates would produce $86,000 more, for a total of $426,000. This covered not only the increased cost of running the board, but also the costs associated with more work on investigations into water resources, river assessments and similar surveys. “There is no financial spin-back to the board on this type of investigation, but the research on underground water, for example is of tremendous value, and the board feels justified in the expenditure,” said Dr Holmes. He said that the wet season had affected the amount of work required from the Waimakarifi-Eyre-Cust and other river rates. For the Waimakariri, not affected by the wet winter. $214,000 was provided for continuation of the flood protection works started in 1960.

The Eyre River, normally bone dry, had been badly eroded by winter floods, and $54,000 would be spent on it, a six-fold increase. The story was much the same with the Cam, where $5OOO expenditure had been estimated last year, but $9500 was actually spent, with another $9OOO to be spent this year. REDUCTIONS Dr Holmes said that although the Waimakariri-Eyre-Cust rate increase was 25 per cent this year, it was only 8 per cent more than the rate three years ago, because of subsequent reductions. The account provided for a $63,000 credit balance, needed for a flood damage emergency, as the board could get up to $250,000 in I

subsidy, but had to have the money for its share first.

The 100 per cent Lake Ellesmere rate would enable the board to spend $23,000 on openings. Last year, there had been six openings, compared with an average of three and a half a year, and instead of the $5OOO allowed, this work had cost $lO,OOO. The settlers got the benefit, however.

The doubled Selwyn rate would produce $BOOO, and enable $ll,OOO worth of work to be done, compared with $6OOO spent last year. The extra work, said Dr Holmes, was another example of the effects of the wet season.

The board’s gross expenditure on works would be about $410,000, of which $200,000 would come in subsidy. Total expenditure under all headings would be about sl.sm on a rating income of about $617,000, compared with $478,000 last year, an average increase in all rates of 29 per cent.