Council opposes new rating bill

Press, 19 November 1982, Page 10

Council opposes new rating bill

Parliamentary. Reporter The Christchurch City Council opposes a rating method proposed in a new bill, saying it will penalise householders in lower rated properties. • . In a submission to the Parliamentary select committee on the Local Government Amendment Bill (No 2) yesterday, the council said that the optional uniform charge would increase rates payable on older premises by up to 46 per cent, but favour modern expensive homes, which in some cases would pay up to 2 per cent less in rates.

Commercial premises in the city and in Sydenham and Papanui would pay between 12 per cent and 20 per cent less in rates.

The bill allows territorial local authorities to levy a uniform annual general charge on top of a reduced rates levy, to bring in no

more revenue than would have been raised from a full rates levy. For the council, Mr David Close said that although the levy was optional, councils could by majorities introduce the system. “The effect of the imposition of such a charge would be that owners of low value properties would pay more, and owners of valuable properties would pay less,” he said. “The Government should not make a law that would be permissive and could be inequitable and divisive in any area,” he said. The bill essentially extends the existing right of local authorities to levy uniform charges for special works, by allowing them to raise uniform charges for general purposes. The maximum general charge permitted in the bill is $l5O a rateable property.