Concern At Cuts In Subsidies

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31057, 12 May 1966, Page 1

Concern At Cuts In Subsidies

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU, May 11. The South Canterbury Catchment Board will frame a resolution to the annual conference of catchment authorities, expressing grave concern at the reduction in subsidy allocations.

The board considers that the cuts have been brought about by the diversion of a larger sum than usual by the Minister of Works (Mr Allen) for works on the Waikato river.

The chairman of the board (Mr S. D. Taylor) told the monthly meeting today that the Waikato Valley Authority seemed to be “a law unto itself.”

Seconding the proposal, Mr G. A. Rountree said he was disturbed that the board was in a position where it had to “gamble that it would receive the crumbs from someone else’s table” to carry out its commitments for the year.

“It is a serious state of affairs. Some of our future schemes are assured of a local share, and yet we are stalling ratepayers because we will not have the funds,” said Mr Rountree. Something should be done to draw the attention of the Government to the situation, he added. “Where do these allocations come from? If there is

an allocation available at the end of the year, surely some arrangement could be made whereby we could know earlier. That would simplify our programme and commitments,” Mr Rountree said.