Rise in local bodies feared

Press, 22 July 1989, Page 4

Rise in local bodies feared

By

CHRIS MAHONY

in Timaru

Community boards could be used to subvert the Local Government Commission’s aim of reducing the number of local authorities in New Zealand, according to the chairman of the Timaru District transition committee.

Cr Archie Houstoun told a local government commissioner, Mr Doug Pearson, that the creation of three community boards in the Timaru District might mean four local authorities in the district — which was formed by the amalgamation of four local authorities.

“If we delegate to them (the boards) all the powers we are able to, we are going to have four different local authorities,” Cr Houstoun said at a meeting in Timaru this week.

“Why go through three

years of hassle to get something worse than we have now?”

Mr Pearson agreed that the District Council would be able to delegate wideranging powers to the community boards — but not the power to strike rates.

Cr Houstoun said his committee favoured extensive delegation of powers because it was the only way enough suitable people could be encouraged to stand for election to the boards.

Under the re-organisa-tion scheme to come into force on November 1, community boards will be based in Geraldine, Temuka and Pleasant Point. Cr Houstoun said the boards could be given the power to set their own estimates for spending in their areas, leaving the District Council to set a rate in accordance with those estimates.