BOROUGH FARM LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20475, 29 January 1930, Page 16

BOROUGH FARM LANDS.

! INCIDENCE OF RATING.

•Js T ORTHCOTE COUNCIL'S VIEWS,

RELIEF NOT WARRANTED. 'A questionnaire on tho subject cvf the Incidence of ratin'g upon farm lands within boroughs, circulated by a committee appointed by tho executive of tho Municipal Association, was discussed by the Northcote Borough Council last evening.

' The council considered that whatever the position elsewhere might be, relief from local rating Northcote was not warranted. All borough improvements for which loan moneys had been raised had an appreciable effect on the valuo of ail lands in the borough, and where revenue from such lands had been pledged as security for the loans, including payment of interest and sinking fund, to relieve one part meant throwing an additional burden on the other portion, which was not contemplated when tho loan proposals wero voted upon. In Northcote, tho lands which would to affected by tho proposed Urban Farm Lands Rating Bill constituted a littlo more than half the borough in area, but the valuation of these lands was slightly under one-sixth of the total ratable value, indicating to somo extent that tho valuer, .when making this assessment, look into consideration the nature and use of such lands. 'ln some cases portions of allotments had been sold at considerably more than the rating value, thus emphasising this point.

Provision lor Objections. 'Any case of hardship might be provided for by a simple amendment to the ■Rating Act, giving any owner or occupier of farm land the right of lodging an objection at any time prior to February 15 in any year, asking for revision of his valuation on the ground that his property was farm land, and directing the Assessment in dealing with the objection to take into account the use of /the land and its prospective or potential value for building purposes. By this means the door would bo open each year, and each case would bo dealt with on its merits.

The council expressed the opinion that . a definite limit of three acres should be fixed in any scheme to afford relief, as % the scheme would be rendered farcical if smaller areas were to be treated as farms The council favoured two grades when defining "urban farm lands." Land used solely in connection with the owner's usual calling or business should be placed ~ in one class and land used to supplement the earnings of the owner in another class. In both grades properties which could profitably be subdivided should by excluded. Properties in District. It was stated that ..outside the imrne/■iliate residential area of Northcotc there -;were many properties ranging from three -to sixty acres used for fruitgrowing, raising pedigree stock, grazing and dairy .farming. Six these -were subdivided into building allotments, and the sixty acres block was occupied by three houses and was sub-let to three or four tenants.

The area of borough is 1190 acre.*, the unimproved ratable value being £266,197, and the rates collected, excluding .water and other separate charges, amount to £6o§2. The areas over thrc* acres total 799 acres, the unimproved ;value being £64,167, but deducting lands used for purely residential, business or collegiate purposes, or subdivided or ■partly sold, the ■" total area over three acres is reduced to 612 acres, the unimproved ratable value being £47,515, and the rates collected on this total £IOB6.