COBDEN NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1928, Page 12

COBDEN NOTES

(Our Oe?n Correspondent.)

The Domain Board are now putting I their scheme of imropvements into operation. A contract has been completed for making a. cut through the bank of tailings westward of the Domain. The has a fall of ten inches, and so long as it dears itself with the force of the current is likely to prove successful in turning flood and creek waters away into the lagoon. Two birds are being killed with one stone. The Harbour Board are undertaking the dumping of their useless spoil, which will be- deposited along the creek beyond the drain in' Richmond Street, the unnecessary creek bed being filled up and allowing for extension of the playing area. The turf will be saved, and after sufficient mullock has been spread to a sufficiently high level, it will be placed on top to give the grass as quick a start as possible. The Harbour Board will save the cost of sidings and haulage of spoil to the breakwater, and the Domain Board will have a good job completed at nominal cost. The Cobden Town Board has struck

the rates foi' the ensuing year on tihe unimproved value. The principle sought in unimproved value is a uniformity in rating, but the theory does not work out in practice. Tidal Creek flows through the greater part of the township, the unimproved value of the land so traversed varying from £5O to £BO. Some years ago the creek was turned into ,the lagoon at Newcastle Street, and sections westward except corner allotments are valued at £6O. In Central Cobden (Fox Street, for

instance), sections other than corner allotments carry valuations from £lOO ■to £75 for good sections, inferior sections being less. Far down Cobden in. Peel Street, some sections even smaller have an unimproved value of £9O. In Nelson Quay the valuations are much' the same as those of Fox Street, with an additional £2O or so for* corner sites. In Bright Street in what is i known as the business area, valuations range from £l3O downward. On the opposite side of the stret the sections are low-lying and are valued at £6O. In Cobden Extension or beach area, valuations of £lO, £l5 and £2O prevail. Differences in some valuations, which fiom time to time have, been executed by different valuers, are too steep and should be brought more into line with one another. There are instances where the valuation on similar sections, side by side, varies up to 25 percent, which, of course, means an advantage or disadvantage to their owners. The Valuation Roll is open now to inspection by ratepayers, and the special resolution striking the rates will be confirmed by the Town Board on October 23.