COUNCILLORS CONCERNED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 67, 29 April 1946, Page 5

COUNCILLORS CONCERNED

POSSIBILITY OF CATCHMENT RATE

FURTHER BURDEN ENVISAGED Fears that the new rate which will be levied under the proposed Bay of Plenty Catchment Board, would become yet a further burden on the already heavily taxed farming community in the Eastern Bay, were expressed by members of the Whakatane County Council at their April meeting last week.

The matter was brought up for discussion as a result of a letter from the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council which stated

(1) That the Bay of Plenty Catchment District comprise generally the whole of the area draining into the Bay of Plenty which embraces the Catchments of the Tarawera, Rangitaiki, Whakatane, Waoieka and Waiaua Rivers, and (2) That representation would be as follows: Opotiki County (part) & Waikohu County (part) jointly 2 members; Whakatane County (part) 5 members; Rotorua County (part) and Taupo County (part) jointly 1 member; Whakatane Borough 1 member; and Opotiki Borough 1 member making the total Elective 10 and the non-elective 5. The total membership was 15.

Flat Rate Opposed

The Council decided to support the Counties’ Association in its protest to the Government in the proposal to enable Catchment Boards to levy a flat rate of id in the £ in addition to the administrative rate without prior classification of the land. The Council was urged to protest direct to the Government and through the local M.P. Cr Hunter was dubious regarding the future powers the Board, which he said might inflict a growing rate upon the farmers. As far as the Rangitaiki was concerned, the farmers there could not stand any further rating, and he warned the Council to watch the position very closely in order to avoid further imposition.

Rangitaiki Already Rated

Cr McCracken pointed out that the Rangitaiki was already rated for river protection and this should be brought to the notice of the Rivers Control Council. The Chairman: I don’t know whether the rates are going to be any more than they ai’e at present! „

Cr McCracken: We know that. The Drainage .Committee is also digging into the matter and from what I can see, they can’t find much to object to, but people are concerned as to what development may yet take place. Cr Hunter: New plant will be wanted and the cost will all come on to the land. Straight away we will be liable for new rate.

The Chairman: New plant will be wanted in any case and the cost will be borne by the whole area. Cr Hunter: I can see our rate going sky high unless we are careful! Proper Representation Cr McCracken said that it was important to see that members from the County came from the actual ’drainage areas, which the chairman agreed could be affected by a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’. “This should be a national matter,” declared Cr Hunter, who added that he could not see the justice of one section of the community, just because it had the misfortune to live in an area where a lot of work had to be done, being called upon to pay for all of it. 1

The chairman pointed out that the Government under the Catchment Board system was making available far larger subsidies than usual for protection works—up to £5 to £l. The farmer who was receiving the maximum benefit should naturally expect to pay more than the man who was scarcely affected at all, and this would be achieved by a fair classification of the lands within the Board’s area.

Cr Wardlaw warmly agreed that such a method was the only fair and equitable one. It was decided to invite the Soil Protection and Rivers Control Council to take the necessary steps to form the new Catchment Board in the Bay of Plenty.