LOCAL BODY REORGANISATION

Chronicle (Levin), 13 September 1946, Page 5

LOCAL BODY REORGANISATION

—Press Association

PROPOSED INVESTIGATION BY COMMISSION

By Telegraph-

W FLL1X GTOX , Sept. 12. Provision for the appointment of a Local Government Commission in accordance ivith the recommendation of the ParJiamentary Committee which investigated looal body att'airs, is contained in the Local Government Comuiission Bill which was introduced and read a iirst time in the House of Representatives tonight. The Minister of Internal Affairs, explaining the Bill, said it provided machinery to accomplish long overdue reorganisation of local government in the Dominion. The Commission would consist of a chairman who had judicial qualifications, and one other member having a special knowledge of local government. These two niembers would be appointed by the Governor-General-iu-Council. A third member would be : appointed by the Government from a panel of persons nominated by sucli national associations of local bodies as the i\[unicipal Association, Counties Association, Eleetric Power Boards' Association and Hoepital Boards' As1 sociation. In order to guarantee thal the Commission would have the points of view of any particular type of local diody which it might be considering, , placed before it, power was also taken , to appoint a representative to sit with the Commission in an advisory capaeity to represent that particular type oi' local bodv under eonsideration. Tliat, , liowever, was not part of the ILndings ot the Parliamentarv Committee. The principal function of the Commission, the Minister added, would be to consider the general, geographica! and administrative structure of local government in the Dominion and over a period of years, and to draw up schemes for the redrawing of local body boundaries .so that they would be more in aecord with modern needs. The JMinister emphasised that the Commission would be an independent judicial body and that the Government u'ould have no authority to dietate to Ihe Commission as to its fmdings which would be based on an impartial survey of the evidence placed before it. All interested parties would have a f'ull opportunity of placing their views be- t fore the Commission. The Parliamentarv Committee had recommended that the Commission *'s (indings sliould be laid on the table of • , the Plouse and that if there were no objections they wonld then become law. Provision was also made for the Commission to recommend a poll of electors if that was considered neces- J sarv, before any major scheme alfecting j a district was carried out. !Mr. Parry j said if a poll was not recommended by i the Commission, a petition signed by 15 per cent. of the electors could demand one, . -j „ . ■; vv\