Councillor says Canty getting less from Govt

Press, 25 February 1987, Page 8

Councillor says Canty getting less from Govt

Canterbury is getting less Government funding for transport that other regions, in spite of figures given by the Minister of Transport, Mr Prebble, says a Paparua County councillor, Mr Eddie Britnell. Mr Britnell told the council’s finance committee last evening that per capita Canterbury had been granted $15.17 of Wellington’s $79.89 and Auckland’s $27 in this finance year’s Urban Transport Council subsidies. Mr Prebble, in response to a council inquiry, maintained that all four main centres had their bus subsidy requests cut by 26 per cent ■< „ “In the light of these figures, it is difficult sustain an argument that the Canterbury region is being treated inequitably in comparison with the other regions,” he said. Mr Britnell said that Mr Prebble had neglected, however, to add in the “borieof contention’’', the rail subsidies which had . been granted only to Auckland and Wellington. These showed that Canterbury received $4,703,000, a decrease of 21 Iper cent on its re-» quitted $5,981,000, as

posed to Wellington’s $25.8 million, a 3.8 per cent decrease on its request Auckland was down 16 per cent by this method, and Dunedin down 21 per cent Mr Britnell said. He took issue also with Mr Prebble’s population comparisons. Mr Prebble’s figures, minus the rail funds, showed the grants per capita ranging from $12.65 to $19.74, with Canterbury receiving $15.26 and Wellington receiving $18.54. Adding the rail figures, however, Mr Britnell calculated Canterbury’s transport funding at $15.17 a head, while Wellington’s funding rose to $79.89 .a head and Auckland’s rose ta $27. ' (The variation between Mr Prebble’s and Mr firitnell’s figures for bus subsidies results from Mr . Britnell’s being-told by the _ Canterbury United Council that Canterbury was getting $28,000 less and Wellington $563,000 more. TliiS' difference had been explained by Mr Prebble as arising -from the policy that rail subsidy savings remained , in the region and were used I for bus funding said Mr gßritnell.)

“Unlike the Minister I have no difficulty at all in seeing the inequity in the U.T.C. subsidies,” said Mr Britnell.

“For anyone to ignore the urban rail subsidies is a deliberate attempt to mislead the South Island regions." The plain fact was that Wellington received $64.72 a head more than Canterbury. The Paparua County Chairman, Mr Jack Pethig, agreed that it was a “political decision” to give more transport funding to Auckland and Wellington “and nowhere else.”

The U.T.C. had given an understanding that 100 per cent rail subsidy funding would be phased out by this financial year, yet Mr Prebble continued to use the same argument that the regions were equal.

Cr Rupert Pearce added his congratulations on Mr Britnell’s report, saying Mr Prebble’s letter “treated councillors as people of little intelligence, unable to put two and two together.” The committee recommended that Mr Britnell’s workings be sent to Mr Prebh® and all local members of Parliament