RELIEF SOUGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23425, 15 August 1939, Page 11

RELIEF SOUGHT

TEAM TRACK BATES CASE FOR THE BOARD A CONFERENCE TO-DAY A conference of local bodies in i.lie Anckland Transport Board's district will be held nt the Town Hall at noon to-day to consider the board's proposal to have special legislation passed during the present session of Parliament, exempting it from the payment of general rates on its tramway tracks. The board at present pays general and special rates on its tracks and I overhead gear to the amount of about £5600 a year. This sum is levied by five local bodies, the Auckland City Council and the Mount £den, Mount Albert, Newmarket and One Tree Hill Borough Councils. No payment is made to the Onehunga Borough Council or the Mount Roskill Boad Board, whose rates are assessed on unimproved land values. The Board's Obligations In a recent circular letter to the bodies concerned, the board pointed out that it was required to construct the whole of the roadway covered by its tracks, together with an 18in. strip on cither side, and to maintain the surface in as good order as the remainder of the road. The total area involved, consisting of over 44 miles of double track, was 483,951 square yards. This was equal to the whole, area of roads traversed by a tram running from the Point Chevalier terminus to the city, thence to the Onehunga terminus and back to Royal Oak. The capital cost of construction and bitumen paving, not including rails, sleepers, etc., was estimated _at £181,482, and the annual capital charges, together with maintenance, were equal to £20,023. This was a clear saving to the local bodies. Charge Deemed Inequitable In view of the fact that the tramway system provided its own roadbed at its own cost and saved the local bodies the sum mentioned, while all other vehicles had their running services provided for them by the local bodies, the board considered that the rate charge was inequitable. It stated, however, that it did not seek to be relieved of rates on its overhead gear, or of special rates already struck, but only of general rates upon the paved area. In the case of the City Council, the largest receiver of rates, the amount paid in the last financial year was £3507. Allowing deductions of £1321 for special' rates and £lO9 for rates on overhead gear, the saving to the board under the proposed adjustment would be £2076.