MUNICIPAL BILL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19669, 11 December 1933, Page 10

MUNICIPAL BILL

AMENDMENTS MADE. By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, December 9. The clause providing for the compulsory amalgamation of contiguous boroughs, appearing in the Municipal Corporations Bill, has been deleted by the Local Bills Committee, which reported the measure back to the House yesterday. As the Bill now stands it is essential that a poll should be taken before a petition for amalgamation is presented to the Governor-General. The clause which has been struck out provided for amalgamations taking place without a poll after a favourable recommendation by a commission. Another amendment made by the Committee is designed to n ’ivt municipalities the right to lay out grass plots or flower beds on any street and prohibit traffic in whole or in part on these plots or beds. Important alterations have h 'en made in the new provisions relating to the setting back of the building line in streets. As the Bill was drafted there was a provision for payment of compensation for both the building and land taken for this purpose, but the Committee has removed the provisions for paying compensation for buildings and has the compensation provision to the land taken for this purpose. Material changes have been made to the provisions requiring the construction of private drains. The amendments lay down that no owner shall be required to lay a private drain to connect with a public drain or sea at a point more than 100 feet from hLs land, nor shall ' e be required to construct a private drain for the rainage of a building •» a length of more than 200 feet. The original Bill r.nd Act, which is being consolidated, gave authority for municipalities to order the destruction of ruinous buildings, but the clause dealing with this subject has been amended to li" t 2 power of Councils to ordering the destruction of | dangerous buildings