BULLER POWER BOARD GIVEN STATE’S DISTRIBUTION' SYSTEM

Grey River Argus, 15 April 1948, Page 8

BULLER POWER BOARD GIVEN STATE’S DISTRIBUTION' SYSTEM

Town v« Country Difference on Rating

Reporting at the monthly meeting of the Buller Electric Power Board on Tuesday night, the chairman, Mr C. E. Austin, stated that, as the result of a meeting of the members with the Secretary for Mines, Mr C. H. Benney, and other officers of the Mines Department at Wellington, the Mines Department had agreed to sell to the Board the distribution system serving its domestic consumers in the district, and also to hand over to the Board those domestic consumers in Millerton, Birchfield, Granity, Stockton, Hector, Ngakawau. Denniston. Burnett’s Face and. Waimangaroa. Mr J. Kilkenny snoke concerning the date when a link up with the South Island grid will bo possible, saying that he thought that it might be nearer to five years than three years. Members of the Power Board felt, however, that from observations made when meeting the general manager of the State Electricity Department, Mr A. R. Davenport, it should be possible to get power earlier than was I expected.

Mr Kilkenny said that the method of the Borough Council in adopting the unimproved value on which to strike its rates had been most unsatisfactory, and this should be considered by the Power Board.

It was agreed by Mr J. D. McDonald that it would be more beneficial for borough interests for the Board to follow- the Council’s example. Messrs Kilkenny and McDonald put forward a motion in this direction, quoting figures supplied by the organising secretary, Mr G. A. Fowler, that the capital value of the Buller county was at present £987.492, as compared with £899.488 for the borough, and that the unimproved values were respectively Westport £290.268; aud the county £147,433. Hon. W. H. Mclntyre asserted that, even now, county ratepayers would be badly treated if the unimproved value were adopted by the Board. If there were a revaluation in the near future, it could be expected that the values in the county would rise. Maybe this would be greater by 50 per cent. That would make the unimproved value almost four times that of the borough. The rate was pledged on that basis. He considered it would not be fair to the country people. Mr F. Connew strongly supported Mr Mclntyre’s contention. He seconded an amendment by Mr Mclntyre that the capital value be the Board’s rating basis. Other members present, including the chairman, Mr C. E. Austin, voted in favour of the amendment.

Mr Fowler stated, in his report, that, in actual fact, such rates have hardly ever been collected by Power Boards, and that it was certainly not probable that one would be used in the Buller. Mr Fowler added that .the Fowei Board had the authority to raise a loan and to strike a rate without seeking the permission of the ratepayers.

Mr Kilkenny expressed amazement at this. He predicted that the whole thing might cost the ratepayers of Westport a lot of money. He mentioned that, already, more than £5OO had been spent by the Power Board in a little more than four months. He felt that the coming period would see even a greater rise in the expenses of the Board. The Rural Reticulation Council will visit the Buller district on April 28, and will meet the Buller Power Board and Westport Borough Council representatives on matters affecting power supply for the Buller district.

It is hoped to show the Council over the open cast mine at Stockton, and also to arrange for a visit to Seddonville.