Urban transport levy approved

Press, 17 March 1987, Page 7

Urban transport levy approved

The Canterbury United Council’s proposed new method for calculating the urban transport levy has been approved by the Local Government Commission.

Objections by the Rangiora District Council, the Kaiapoi Borough Council and the Eyre County Council were dismissed by the commission.

The three councils had argued that the new levy was unfair because the United Council had not consulted fully with the councils involved and the proposed method of calculating the levy did not fairly reflect its benefits.

The levy is to provide funds for urban transport planning and administration, for transport services for the disabled, and for demonstration projects. The share of the levy for each council will now be calculated from its share of the resident population within the Canterbury Urban Transport

In the past the funds have come from Christchurch Transport Board and Lyttelton Borough Council rates, donations, community funds, and reserve funds. The Local Government Committee which heard the objections late last month -decided that the United Concil had made enough efforts to consult with the authorities. The committee also ruled that “the items of expenditure cannot be said to specifically apply to one district more than another,” thereby rejecting the claim of unfairness by the three councils objecting to the levy.

The three councils now face substantial increases in the amount they contribute to the $500,000 total of the levy. Rangiora District’s contribution will rise from $4070 to $17,728; Eyre County’s from $760 to $3304; and Kaiapoi Borough's from $lB3O to $7938.