Petrol rationing to be regional
Parliamentary reporter The regional rather than national administration of petrol rationing, should ever it be needed, is provided for in new legislation now before Parliament. Clause 12 of the Local Government Amendment Bill does not signal the imminence of petrol rationing, according to the Minister of Local Government, Mr Highet. Rationing under clause 12 would only be introduced in circumstances of severe and expected prolonged petrol supply disruption. The aim of the clause was to ensure that there would be an administrative system ready, through regional and united councils, should petrol rationing ever be needed, he said.
This would provide for
the injection of local knowledge into the decisions that would have to be made about the allocation of available petrol stocks. In preparing for such an eventuality united and regional councils would be required to prepare plans for their regions, Mr Highet said. Such plans would provide the board administrative framework for rationing.
Should a petrol shortage be imminent, the GovernorGeneral by Order-in-Council would require regional and united councils to produce more detailed administrative plans. These would cover the actual workings of the rationing system.
The Opposition spokesman on local government, Mr P. T. E. Woollaston (Nelson), accused the legis-
lalion of making regional and united councils “the handmaidens of the Minister of Energy.” “What has the Government got against the ratepayers of New Zealand that it wants them to pay for implementing petrol rationing?” asked Mr D. F. Caygill (Lab., St Albans). Functions were being imposed on the councils by the Government, which at the same time was withholding the finance to pay for those functions. Mr Highet said clause 12 had been well discussed with the councils and their representatives, who had been happy about it. Discussions were being held, including the Ministry of Energy, on the costs of the plans and most of the costs would be met by the Government
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19831031.2.104
Bibliographic details
Press, 31 October 1983, Page 21
Word Count
320Petrol rationing to be regional Press, 31 October 1983, Page 21
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in