LOCAL BODY AMALGAMATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22057, 13 September 1933, Page 12

LOCAL BODY AMALGAMATION

SOUTH CANTERBURY AREA SPECIAL COMMITTEE’S REPORT THE ADVANTAGES OUTLINED. The advantages to be derived from the amalgamation of all local bodies in the area bounded by the Rangitata and Waitaki Rivers and stretching from the Southern Alps to the aea, are set out in a report drawn up by a committee appoint by the Mackenie County Council to investigate the matter. If the amalgamation were brought about it would, in effect, reinstate the boundaries of the original area known as the “Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works ” as set out in the New Zealand Statutes of- 1867. _ The committee claims to have given the whole question very careful study and states that its report is submitted as a basis for present and future consideration of the matter. - Reference, is made to the report of the commission appointed by the Government about two years ago to study and report on the question of regional planning in New Zealand. In some, cases there was no doubt that the regions outlined by that commission could exist as independent units. The area with which the report was to deal —South Canterbury—had been classed by the commission ns a regional area. “ Two years have now passed, the report states, and to-day the correctness of the regional boundaries is more strongly confirmed' than ever, and the need for the most economical working of the area and the careful survey of all costs relating to primary products of first importance. The development of public works, the most economical working of the area, and the transport costa of primary products are all inter-related and interdependent and on the degree of efficiency of the first two depends the efficiency of the third. The primary need of the regional area, then, is the most efficient development of the public, works and the most economical and efficient working. METHODS OF WORKING. After setting out the nature and extent of the public works in the area, the report goes on to deal with methods of working. “ One method of working the area, which presents itself to the mind,” it states, “ is the method employed by a large departmental business. There arc the chairman of directors, a board of directors, a general manager, departmental heads and departmental staffs. In, this case there would be: —(1) The regional council, with the chairman of the council; (2) administrative head; (3) departmental heads—(a) public works engineer, (b) harbour engineer, (c) electrical engineer, (d) taxation clerk (rates),, (e) chief clerk (law, Statutes, regulations, etc.), (f) electrical distribution and power clerk, (g) harbour and shipping clerk, (h) accountant); (4) departmental staffs. “At present, in addition to four borough councils, one town board, and one hospital board, there are the following boards in the area, each with its chairman: —One highway council, four county councils, one harbour board, one power, and two river boards, with a total or some 80 members, though several of the members serve on two or more of tho boards. All told, there are almost twice as many members serving on councils and boards in South Canterbury as there are members in the New Zealand Parliament. In this group of boards there, are five civil engineers, one harbour engineer, and one electrical engineer. There are also six rating clerks. Each engineer am! each rating clerk has charge of a small portion of the area, and in no way coordinates or co-operates with the other portions towards the development or economic running of the whole regional area, , “ In considering the development on the lines suggested it is not practicable or desirable that the complete idea should be carried out by a wave of a wand overnight. The process would be one of gradual federation. First the smallest county of the east could amalgamate with the largest of the west, followed by the northern county, and finally the southern. The inclusion of the harbour and electric power authorities would then naturally follow. The first two authorities to combine would reduce their present number of councillors by three each, making the combined' council consist of .eight members. On the third county joining, this number would again be reduced to six, and the joining council would elect three members, making nine in the council. Un the fourth county joining, the numbers would again be reduced, three of tfie present counties then supplying three members each, and tho remaining county two, thus making 11 members on the council. Tho final regional council representation possibly would be: —Two counties, two members each; two counties, one member each; harbour authority, three members; power authority, three, members—making 12 in all. The technical and expert departmental heads, could be rebed on to draw out a practicable, workable, and efficient organisation for their various departments. In the first. step towards this proposal and also in consequence of the request by Levels County to place some definite plans before its council we have proceeded with this first phase. COSTS OF ADMINISTRATION. “In the administration costs of the combined area, there would not be any "reat saving which would materially help the individual ratepayers. At present each office has a staff of three, the salaries of the Levels office being £'9o 10s and the Mackenzie office £657 10s—a total of. £1448. Under a combined system salaries would amount to, £ I. a savin" of £248. This on a capital value of £6,000,000. means one penny per £IOO of capital value. Likewise, in the items of office and general administration it is estimated that the maximum savings to the counties would be; Levels, £175, Mackenzie, £120; the main item in the Levels amount being the rates payable on the county office. A smaller receiving office would be used in its place, the rent of which would possibly be offset by rent oi sale of the present offices. . , « The main financial saving to be made is in the working of the county. By the judicious use of suitable plant on highways, it is possible for the subsidy received for the hire of plant to offset the total expenditure on highway maintenance. According to the 1931-32 balance sheets, highway maintenance cost the Levels County £I9OO and the Mackenzie County nil. The Levels County has approximately 75 miles of highway and the Mackenzie County 120 miles. There was also expended on the ridings in Levels County £O4OO and in the Mackenzie County £2032. The Levels County has 400 miles of roads and the Mackenzie County 600. “While it is not assumed that these figures form an absolute basis for comparison, they tend to show that the present method of working of the much larger Mackenzie area is not- over costly, and an extension of such an organisation would not be detrimental to the Levels area. On the other hand, if the working of the Levels highways can be carried out on similar lines to that carried out on the Mackenzie highways, a saving of approximately £I9OO can be made to the Levels ratepayers. In the expenditure of £6400 on riding roads in the Levels County, it is assumed that there are .no major works on capital expenditure which has been paid wholly by the ridings. If such has been made there would be no comparison in the figures. If, on the other hand, this expenditure represents merely normal expenditure, subject to the present unemployment relief expenditure, the disparity between the expenditure of the two areas is wide, and an extension of the Mackenzie methods to the Levels area would save a sum estimated at a minimum of £IOOO. In this estimate the question of converging traffic, density of traffic, and volume of transport has been fully considered; likewise the climatic conditions and wide area to be operated over in tho Mackenzie area. SUPERVISION AND REPRESENTATION. “The question of supervision has been fully considered. The total. mileage of metalled or gravelled roads in the combined area is under 850 miles, and the total formed roads slightly over 1000 miles, so that quarterly inspections ot everv mile of roads in the combined areas is not a great task. With a working foreman in each area, an adequate and complete supervision of all public works would be maintained. “ In many of the neighbouring counties riding members are representing areas considerably larger than the combined areas of many adjoining counties. These

members are frequently - the most active in keeping in closest touch t with the ratepayers they represent and in inspecting their riding works. It is, therefore, not too much to assume that six representatives of this typo would not find it beyond their ability to represent the combined area of Mackenzie and Levels, to keep in closest touch with the needs of the ratepayers they represent and to make such inspections as necessary. Geographically, Fairlie is. the centre of the activities of the combined area, and the administrative buildings there are adequate for the purpose, so that it is suggested that Fairlie could be headquarters. A small collecting office could be maintained in Timaru, where rates and licenses could be attended to and where the engineer could be interviewed. Drom Fairlie to the coast is 40 miles, while Ben Ohau district in the - Mackenzie County is approximately 60 miles from headquarters. . ... . “For the purpose of representation and administration, the combined area would be organised into ridings, each present existing county to form one riding. Each riding would retain its present identity together with its real assets, ihe machinery and estimated assets would be suomitted to a committee in order to arrive at a fair basis of distribution, or, failing this, the matter could be submitted to a magistrate. All present ridings would be abolished except as far as loan indebtedness is concerned. The present County Act would apply to the combined area except in regard to representation. Each of the present counties would elect tfirea representatives for a period of four years (in order to coincide with alternate .municipal elections), and the county chairman would fife elected annually. “A uniform general rate would be levied separately in each riding with separate hospital and harbour rates over the whole area. Special rates would be levied over the present special rating areas. ihe chief executive officer would be a qualified administrator, capable of controlling, planning, and carrying out the necessary public works of the area and of co-ordinat-ing and administering the full control of the various departments. The office staff would consist of an accountant, responsible for working details in connection with the accounts, balance sheets, etc., a rate and rent clerk responsible for the preparation of the rate books, demands, etc.) and the collection of these and the rents. A foreman would be needed n each riding, and in the office a junior staff would ha maintained in keeping with the work.”