RATING IN EYRE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31081, 9 June 1966, Page 16

RATING IN EYRE

Chairman’s View

“Our rate is low because of efficiency together with the high value of the county, all of which is flat arable land,” said Mr C. M. Hannan, chairman of the Eyre County Council at the councils recent meeting. “If we increased our rate we would have to increase plant and staff to obtain our full subsidy, or have work done by contract."

Mr Hannan was commenting on a leading article in “The Press” on June 3 about the visit of the National Roads Board to the county. The article had implied, he said, that the Eyre county general rate of l|d in the £ on unimproved value was so low that the council should not be eligible for subsidy. During the board’s visit the Ministry of Works produced a document which said that the council was receiving a 3:1 subsidy for work on South Evre road, said Mr Harman. This was not so, as the council was receiving a subsidy of 3:2.

The council had applied to the Roads Board for a complete subsidy for the remaining sealing work on South Eyre road, because, although no ratepayers live on this section of road to the Eyrewell forest, it considered a sealed surface necessary because of logging. The board could not help but be impressed by the council’s argument for a higher subsidy for the work on South Eyre road, said the County Clerk (Mr L. P. Southen), as the only traffic board members met when travelling along it was three logging trucks.