Resistance to transport idea

Press, 27 November 1982, Page 24

Resistance to transport idea

Parliamentary reporter Setting up interim urban transport areas would limitthe opportunity for proper consultation, debate, and planning, a Parliamentary select committee has been told. The committee was considering an amendment to the Urban Transport Act, 1980. The bill will allow local and regional authorities which are planning to set up urban transport areas under the act to go ahead with interim urban transport areas. It will give them the power to levy ratepayers. The Opposition has opposed both the act and the amendment, saying that they would drive a wedge between town and country. They argued that urban ratepayers would be charged twice for transport services — through their rates and through their taxes. Submissions from the Counties’ Association, the Municipal Association, the Hutt County Council, and the Wellington Regional Authority opposed the measures in the bill. Wellington residents may be hardest hit by the proposal because of the high cost of the Wellington rail system. A joint submission by the Counties’ Association and Municipal Association said that the new bill would emphasise the funding of urban transport systems in advance of the proper consultation, planning and debate which was an important part of the act. It said that the proposed amendment should be withdrawn because it was unnecessary and undesirable. Local government and many other sectors of the community had opposed the Urban Transport Act because it was seen as a way for central government to pass costs on to the rateP a y er - Both associations believed that losses on government services in urban transport areas should be treated as a

social service which was the responsibility of the Government, it said.