Akaroa to have big rate rise

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33881, 28 June 1975, Page 16

Akaroa to have big rate rise

Akaroa town property owners face rate increases of 43.3 per cent and a 41.2 per cent rise in sewer charges. The county rates will rise by 28.5 per cent. The Akaroa County Council approved its estimates yesterday.

“It’s unfortunate, but there is nothing we can do except ask the ratepayers to pay,” said the chairman (Mr T. J. Brocherie). “We can’t work on a lesser increase.”

Referring to the town estimates, the County Clerk (Mr ;J. M. Rudhall) said the year i opened with a credit of i $16,098 which w’as spent in i the total expenditure of j $93,247. To maintain this level, a 36 ner cent rate rise was needed, but the town had decided it must press on with capital work paid for from revenue. This included road, sewer and reserve improvements. In addition, flood damage, accelerated reclamation work, and cost increases had to be met. The original estimates were pruned from $128,000 to $107,512, requiring the 45 per cent rate increase. Pan charges for sewerage costs had not been changed since 1965, said Mr Rudhall, and in the last five years, the town rates had riserf once, by ■ 29.7 per cent, in 1971-72.

A house on land valued at $2700 in the town centre would this year pay $llB in rates and pan charges, compared with $82.75 last year. A commercial property with land valued at $B6OO and 11 pans would pay $470.84. instead of $330, and a house on land valued at $3550 in Selwyn Avenue would pay

$151.87, instead of $106.13.

Speaking of the county estimates, Mr Rudhall said 12 per cent of the rate increase "recovered” a deficit of $13,275 last year. Higher salaries, wages, and other labour-based costs accounted for 7.1 per cent of the increase, and the other 9 per cent was to pay for higher material, plant, and fixed charges.

The county estimates provided for a total expenditure of $321,009, compared with $358,053 spent last year, but, said Mr Rudhall, there would be a 53 per cent cut in contract work. The estimates were designed to keep the staff working, but the National Roads Board allocation was totally inadequate.

Mr Rudhall said a Le Bon’s Bay farm with a capital value of $201,250 would now pay $2199 in rates instead of $l7lO. A $54,000 Duvauchelle farm would pay $595 ($462), a $9OOO home at Takamatua $9B ($76) and a $4500 holiday home at Little Akaloa $49 ($3B).

Tile County Engineer (Mr K. A. Paulin) said that to keep county staff employed, they would do $B5OO worth of work in Akaroa town. Mr Rudhall said the council should consider rating incidence in relation to amenities and differential rating, when zoning was completed. There could be pressure for instalment rating in both town and country. Notice was given to strike a town rate of 3.94 c in the dollar on the land value (2.75 c last year) and a charge per farm of $l2 for the first farm (was $8.50) and $4 for each additional farm ($3). The county rate was set at 1.093 c in the dollar on the capital value (0.85 c last year).