FARM LAND IN BOROUGHS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3449, 24 November 1932, Page 5

FARM LAND IN BOROUGHS

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE. The opinion that rating on unimproved value has become a confiscation tax in many boroughs and converted assets into liabilities was expressed by Mr. W. H. Field (Govt., Otaki) during the second reading debate on the Urban Farm Land Rating Bill in the House on Tuesday. The Bill was read a second time. Mr. Field said the Bill required very careful consideration. There was no doubt, however, that it was framed on the right lines. The Bill would be an enormous relief to the occupiers of farm lands in boroughs. He did not think it fair that as proposed one of the Assessment Court assessors should be appointed by the local body. Local bodies were fond of appointing local land agents, and if that were done there was often no certainty that justice would be done. That was one of the weak spots in the Bill. A highly qualified farmer was the person best fitted for the position as assessor. Doubt as to the advisability of introducing such a Bill at the present juncture was expressed by Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Lab., Avon). Any concessions granted to the owners of urban lands, he said, would have to be made up by some other section of the community. Mr. W. Nash (Lab., Hutt), who was a member of the Commission which recently investigated the problem of urban lands, in boroughs, said the Bill was long overdue. A reduction in rates for any area automatically added to the value of that land. Rates could be fairly and justly levied in proportion to the benefits received and services rendered. He had seen cases where the rates on a property on one side of the road were from £2 to £3 per annum, while a property opposite receiving the same services paid from £2O to £3O. Anomalies such as that should be removed, and the Bill tended in that direction.