Bus levies annoy rural Paparua

Press, 3 December 1987, Page 20

Bus levies annoy rural Paparua

If ever there would be a rates revolt in Paparua County, it would be over the Urban Transport Levies, predicted Cr James Kyle at Tuesday evening’s meeting of the County Council’s finance committee.

Feelings were running high in rural areas, that they were going to be hit for a bus service which rural residents could not use without first getting the car out, he said. “It worries me that I find it difficult to explain to the ratepayers the justification for it — because I can’t,” said Cr Kyle. Christchurch Transport Board bus services are paid for by rates levied on areas within j the board’s rating area — which includes only a few parts of the county. Under a new funding system to come into effect in March, the whole of the county will be levied at an initial level of $1,017,617. A council sub-commit-tee decided to apportion that on the basis of 90 per cent coming from urban

areas (defined as being those areas connected to the county’s high-pressure water supply), and the rest from the rural area.

Most councillors spoke of the deficiencies in the rating system being adopted. Cr June Calvert said that houses of similar value in, say, Hornby and Prebbleton, would pay the same levy but get very different levels of service in terms of bus frequency. Cr Jack Pethig, however, said that there was no alternative, short of individually assessing very property.

Cr Eddie Britnell successfully proposed an amendment to the subcommittee recommendation, which would slightly reduce the rural contribution.

He then moved the recommendation, noting that everyone was “a bit loath" to do so, “But I’ll put my head on the block.”

It was then passed, but with Cr Kyle voting against it, and asking that his vote be recorded.

Landscaping The committee has approved $6BOO of landscaping along council property frontages on the Main South Road, as part of improving the road between Church Corner and the Sockburn roundabout Much of the work will involve the removal of several poplar trees in front of the county office, and the removal of exotics and replanting of more native trees in the areas between the office and the testing station. Fees increase A new schedule of fees for commercial and other licences has-been set by the , committee, allowing increasesl'n some cases of more than 30 per cent A food premises licence, for example, will rise from $45 to $6O, plus GST, although the fee for a licence transfer will remain $3O. The new fees come into effect on April 1, 1988,