Catchment Bd’s levy ‘excessive’

Press, 28 May 1983, Page 6

Catchment Bd’s levy ‘excessive’

“Excessive” rate increases by the North Canterbury Catchment Board provoked calls to withdraw from the board’s area by some Akaroa county councillors yesterday.

Akaroa residents would be rated $33,660 for board work in the area worth $l7OO, said Cr G. P. A. de Latour. A rate increase of about $13,000 was “a joke” compared with estimated increases the board had earlier mentioned, he said.

The county chairman, Mr T. J. Brocherie, told the May council meeting that councils were trying to keep their rates down but were faced with collecting big sums for ad hoc bodies such as the board. “It does seem a little strange that the Catchment Board is embarking on massive expenditure when other

local authorities in the region are doing the reverse,” he said. Crs de Latour and R. K. Craw said if Akarora could do the same work as the board more cheaply it should try to withdraw from the board’s rating area.

The board’s rate increases were a high 27 per cent in Christchurch but for Akaroa they were already twice that much, Cr de Latour said.

The council will petition the South Island Local Bodies Association seeking its support in an approach to the Government to let local authorities pull out of the board’s area. Cr de Latour said permission should be given if it was proved that an individual council could do the board’s work for less or, if a special geographical reason existed for its withdrawal. Rates lowered, P2.