SUBDIVISION OF WAIMATE.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 20, 7 September 1894, Page 2

SUBDIVISION OF WAIMATE.

As the petition for the purpose of subdividing Waimate Road District, which has been in circulation for signature, has been called in, we take this opportunity of referring to the matter. We pointed out in a previous issue what we considered to be the unfairness of the proposal, owing to leaving the Skeet Road a charge on the prop®sed Kaupokonui Ward, whilst the rating area for the purpose of supporting it was so unduly curtailed on the south side. The proposed division is ostensibly for the purpose of dividing the area, subsequently, into ridings. In the first place, tbis dividing ink) ridings is not one for urgent haste, as the Counties Act provides that any alteration in the representation of the Council shall only come into force at a general election, and the present Council has two more years to run. In the second place, as far as it applies to the Road Board, it is altogether illegal. Section 24 of " The Road Boards Act, 1882," provides that " In every road district there shall be a Road Board, to be called the (name of district) Road Board, consisting in road districts not divided into subdivisions, of not less than four nor more than nine members, and, in road districts divided into subdivisions, of the members of such subdivisions, but so that there shall not be less than four nor more than nine members of the Board, nor less than one nor more than three members of each subdivision." As the Waimate Road Board consists of nine members, it will be seen at a glance that it cannot be divided into less than three subdivisions in order to comply with the Act, whereas the petition only provides for two, those of Waimate and Kaupokonui. We are of opinion that the Council has neglected its duty in not dissolving the Road Board ay tsoon

as the eastern part was cut off, as section 18 of the Road Boards Act provides that " The Council of the County in which the altered road district is situated shall, by special order, dissolve the Board thereof, and make provision for the election of a new Board." So long as the present Board is allowed to exist, it allows the eastern eud, which has no further interest in it, to exercise a power, by means of its representatives, in its affairs. It would be advisable, whenever Waimate is divided into ridings, that it should be done with a view to permanency. Doing so at the present time Will not affect this. The bush district is rising very rapidly in value, whereas the open does not make much progress, and the valuation of three years ago, on which the proposed subdivision is based, is not at all an index of the present value of the area, which, in fair play, should be considered. Another valuation will take place next year, and as we have pointed out, there is no need for haste in forming ridings, the whole matter might be let stand over until the results of the coming valuation are known, when justice can be done to all parties.