DIFFICULTY OF COLLECTING RATES ON MAORI LAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 91, 4 September 1950, Page 4

DIFFICULTY OF COLLECTING RATES ON MAORI LAND

A decision to make application by Order-in-Council to have Maori land in the Tauranga county owned by 10 or more owners and not kept properly clear of noxious weeds, vested in the Waiariki Maori Land Board to enable it to be leased was made at the monthly meeting of the Tauranga County Council. The council also decided to take action regarding other classes of Maori land—idle land, Maori housing sites, land being cropped by the Waiariki Maori Land Board, land held by Europeans under agreement and land held being developed by Maoris, but not under control of the department of Maori Affairs—to ensure that rates due on such lands are paid to the a county authority.

In reaching its decision, the county council 1 acted on the recomendations of the Rates Clerk, Mr R. L. Carter, who pointed out that by such methods are area of Maori land in useful production could be substantially increased and the county's present rate write off considerably reduced. In a report covering Maori rating in the county, Mr Carter contended that the first step to be taken in dealing with the Maori rates problem was to ensure that as much Maori land as was possible was put in useful production. Once that was done and the occupiers were getting something out of their land, the more likely was, the county to receive the rates levied on Maori land. At the same time noxious weeds problems both on European and Maori occupied lands would be alleviated in some measure.