Port rates up 19 per cent

Press, 24 June 1978, Page 6

Port rates up 19 per cent

Lyttelton rates will rise! 19.1 per cent this year. A special meeting of the Lyttelton Borough Council yesterday adopted proposals to cut spending from original estimates, which required a 42 per certt increase. The biggest increase revealed in the accounts is for drainage and sanitation — $22,000 from revenue for stage one of the council’s sewerage scheme.

A loan of $lOO,OOO will also be raised for the scheme. Administration costs have increased from an actual I $106,452 last year to $123,352 estimated for 1978-79.

A slight increase, from $92,673 to $94,514, is shown for roads and bridges; a decrease from $81,193 to $77,568 for recreational and cultural, and a rise in capital expenditure from $13,933 to $41,300. The council is budgeting

for an over-all increase in payments from $482,614 last year to an estimated $562,754.

The rates struck included a general rate of 13.75 c; water rates of I.lc (minimum of $10); levies and charges rate of 0.00895 c, and a Diamond Harbour sanitation fee of $22. Cr G. C. Adams said that even the 19.1 per cent increase did not make good reading. The works committee had to accept severe cuts, but this had to be done in relation to the burden on ratepayers. Cr G. E. McCann called for a change in format in dealing with rates because there was insufficient time to study the estimates before the council resolved to strike the rate.

The Mayor (Mr M. E. Foster) said that any councillor Could have attended the finance committee meeting when the estimates were considered.