MUNICIPAL MATTERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 59, 11 March 1937, Page 7

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

tima'ru conference

MANY REMITS CONSIDERED

(By Telegraph.— Press Association.l

TIMARU, March 10.

A comprehensive agenda of 108 remits, covering practically all phases of civic administration, was presented to delegates at the first business, session of the New Zealand Municipal Association conference at Timaru today. The president of.the. association, Mr. T. Jordan, Mayor of Masterton, occupied the chair. The annual report, which was adopted, covered a> wide range of subjects, including industrial activity resulting from recent legislation and the proposed amalgamation of local bodies. The balance-sheet showed an excess expenditure over income of £35 8s 6d. Good progress was made during the day, the main agenda of remits being completed. Four remits were advanced by the Timaru borough calculated to overcome difficulties such as confronted the returning officer last June, when, consequent upon the death of the former Mayor, two candidates entered the campaign for the vacancy and one withdrew within seven days of the election, thus creating a delicate legal position. The conference passed a remit ; declaring .the vacancy an extraordinary vacancy.

The conference endorsed the principle contained in an Auckland, remit that local body officers should have the right to appeal to a statutory board of appeal.

The provision of legislation to permit local bodies to require subdividing owners to permanently form and seal to a council's satisfaction any right-of-way or pathway to a section without a frontage to a dedicated road, was sought in a Devonport remit, which was carried. ,'

The conference referred to the executive, to discuss with the Minister of Finance, a remit from Auckland dealing with an amendment of the definition of "rateable property" in the Rating Act and the Municipal Corporations Act so that a local body would have power to rate owners of premises which were leased partially or wholly to the Crown. An amendment of section 69 of the Rating Act to provide for no remission of rates where an owner had not made an effort to let a property at a reasonable rent, was sought in a MtEden remit which was carried.

Tauranga succeeded in securing support for a remit that the Government be asked not to interfere in the control of electrical supply unless a particular supply authority proved to be incapable of conducting its supply.

A Motueka remit carried was that it be a recommendation to the conference that a clause be inserted in the Local Bodies Amalgamation Bill that no borough be amalgamated with a county without a referendum of the people. The conference agreed to seek representation of boroughs on district highways councils.