More reforms by end of year

Press, 19 July 1988, Page 4

More reforms by end of year

Aspects of local government reform not covered by last week’s announcement of policy for reform are expected to be introduced in legislation by the end of the year.

A Local Government Reform Bill would include changes on such aspects of trading activities and funding and delivery of services, said Mr David Smith, of the Local Government Division of the Internal Affairs Department in Christchurch yesterday.

Corporatisation of trading activities of local authorities would be a matter for new law not the Local Government Commission, he said.

Areas of further reform still to be investigated fully included a power of general competence for authorities, their general organisation and local body funding.

Mr Smith said the legislation covering these would be enacted by June next year to coincide with the commission’s reform schemes in time for the October, 1989, elections.

Mr Smith told participants in a Canterbury United Council regional government seminar that the inclusion of the commission’s terms of reference in law set the commission’s parameters. Although the Cabinet committee on local government reform and the officials’ co-ordinating committee on local government would continue to exist, the political link for the commission has gone.

It was now charged with completing the reform process.