Reports rouse Paparua ire

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 6

Reports rouse Paparua ire

Tempers flared at a Paparua County Council committee meeting last evening over statements made at a committee meeting of the Christchurch City Council on Tuesday.

The chairman of the City Council's public utilities committee. Cr Rex Lester, predicted that the rates paid on the Christchurch Airport, would be more than doubled next year.

He was commenting on the recent Government revaluation of the airport. It was more than 300 per cent higher than the 1977 valuation. and the increase w T as 137 per cent higher than the average for the county. The airport is in Paparua County. Paparua councillors were upset because Cr Lester's comments were based on a wrong interpretation of the county's rating policies.

When the new valuations were published, the County Chairman, Cr J. Y. Pethig. had assured ratepayers that although the rateable value of the county had increased almost 87 per cent since 1977, rates would not be

raised accordingly. Unless a property had been revalued at more than the average increase for the riding in which it was sited, rate payments would remain

much the same, he said. The council pegged its rates to meet its works programme, not to produce a surplus. It was felt that news media reports of Cr Lester's statements concerning the airport would mislead ratepayers into thinking that their rates would be increased to the extent that their property valuations had.

Crs E. C. Britnell and A. Y. Shuker said that they were “very disturbed” and “most concerned” about the effect of the reports on their ratepayers. Cr Shuker was particularly angry about the coverage given the issue on the television programme, "The Mainland Touch.” The committee resolved that a meeting be arranged between Cr Shuker. and the County Clerk, Mr B. L. Mooar, and the television team responsible for the programme.