The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Tunes MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1932. AN AMENDING BILL.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Tunes MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1932. AN AMENDING BILL.

A number of amendments to the Urbun Farm Land Enabling Bill will be brought forward when the measure is in the committee stage, which will be taken by .the House on Tuesday. ■Seine of the amendments are of a purely technical nature. Others are for the purpose of giving the- legislation more elasticity. In order to make it clear that only genuine farm land comes within the scope of the Bill., the definition of urban farm land has been extended and it now is laid down that such land must be held by a person whose income, or a substantial part of it, is derived from the use of the land. It also is proposed to give boroughs the right, to use their discretion as to whether farm lands under the Bill are entitled to specal rateable values. It has been represented to the Minister that in some boroughs the incidence of rating may be such that no urban farm lands are entitled to relief, but under the Bill as it stands the council would have to go through tlna process of considering each case and forming a farm land rolh This will he obviated by the amendment', which will make it necessary for a farmer to establish a reasonable case before setting the machinery of the Aict into- motion. A borough council’s decision is subject to the right of .appelrl, so the property owner is safeguarded. Amendments are also being made to meet the case cf borough councils wliicli assess certain rates on a different system from that mainly operating in the borough. For example, a borough may rate on. the unimproved value, ,hut the am omit of water rates' that are collected from the borough are assessed by reference to the annual value. The Bill ais it now stands give.-:' borough councils a period of three months’ grace in connection with an 'application from an occupier of farm lands for preparation of -a farm list. That is to say, if an !fiprVleant wishes to have the, benefit of 11 reduction over a- particular year's rating, he. ha- to a no!y before D 'cember 1. Remp’sentatives of the Municipal Association, states the Minister, recogniise. that this provision is in favour of borough councils, but they have conceded that councils should forego such advantage. Accordingly, it has been, suggested that so long as an application is in before the end of the financial year the benefits of relief will he available for the- succeeding year.