Decision reserved on objections to levy

Press, 25 February 1987, Page 3

Decision reserved on objections to levy

Decision was reserved on objections to the Canterbury United Council’s plans for the urban transport levy when the hearing ended in Christchurch yesterday. Mr Brian Elwood, chairman of the Local Government Commission’s committee which heard the objections, said a decision had to be made by March 8 but he hoped it would be given earlier. The Uhited Council approved a new method of calculating the levy for planning, administration, and projects in urban transport, late last year. The Rangiora District Council, the Kaiapoi Borough Council, and the Eyre County Council argued in a combined submission that the levy was unfair. By calculating the levy for each council from its share of the resident population within the Canterbury urban transport area, the United Council was putting an unfair burden on people in outlying districts, said the three councils. “The proposed method

of imposing the levy does not fairly reflect the benefits,” said the solicitor for the councils, Mr Nick Davidson.

If their objection fails, the councils face substantial increases in the amount they contribute to the $500,000 total of the levy.

Rangiora District’s contribution would rise from $4070 to $17,728; Eyre

County’s from $760 to $3304; and Kaiapoi Borough’s from $lB3O to $7938. The United Council’s solicitor argued that although there could be some time between money’s being spent and the benefits being felt, all residents in the levied area would ultimately benefit.