URBAN FARM BILL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5487, 14 October 1929, Page 3

URBAN FARM BILL.

BOROUGH COUNCIL DISCUSSION. DELAY IN OPERATION URGED. At the Paeroa Borough Council meeting on Thursday evening last the following correspondence on the Urban Farm Lands Bill came before the members :— The Under-Secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs advises that the Urban Farm Lands Rating Bill passed its second reading in the House of Representatives on October 2, and was referred to the Local Bills Committee for consideration. The Municipal Association of New Zealand stated that, in consequence of representations made by several local bodies that the Urban Farm Lands Rating Bill be amended in the direction of giving relief (i.e., by reduced valuations and not by classification), the executive committee waited on October 3 on the Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, and requested that the Bill be postponed for 12 months to enable local bodies to become acquainted with the provisions of the <Bill. The Ministhers, however, definitely stated that they could not see their way to accede to the request, but that the Bill had been sent to the Local Bills Committee, which would hear evidence if addressed within the next 10 days. Any local body, therefore, desirous of being heard by the Local Bills Committee should take immediate steps to place its views before that committee, either directly or through its local member of Parliament. On the subject of the same Bill the Fielding Borough Council wrote expressing its grave doubts as to whether the proposed method of affording relief was a satisfactory one. It was possible under the proposed method that, in affording relief to one section of the ratepayers, undue hardship might be inflicted on another. Further, the method of rating appeared to be rather complicated ana cumbersome, and the council was of the opinion that probably some method of valuation for rating purposes would bring about the desired result, at the same time preserving a uniform rate throughout the borough. The council decided to ask the Government, through the local M.P. for the district, to defer further consideration of the Bill for 12 months, to enable it to be fully considered by municipalities generally , and the Municipal Association in particular. After some discussion the following motion, proposed by the Mayor, was agreed to :— “That the council advise the Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs and the member for the district, Mr A. M. Samuel, that while in sympathy with the proposal to grant relief to occupiers of urban farm lands from unduly burdensome rates, it is our considered opinion (1) That the proposals under the Urban Farm Lands Rating Bill are cumbersome and likely to prove very expensive in operation, and that it would be a grave injustice to other ratepayers if the giving of relief to the farm lands involves them in unnecessary expense ; (2) that if the Government is to have the power to set up commissions on a single petition, then the expense should be borne by the Government and not the Borough Corporation ; (3) that we think it possible that a simple provision for special revaluation governed as to probable use for building purposes by such standards as are laid down under the three classes of section 5, subsection 2, of the proposed Bill would in many cases afford equitable means of relief at practically no cost; (4) that full consideration must be given to any possible effect which the operation of the proposed legislation might have on loan securities ; (5) that we seriously urge delay to enable full consideration to be given to the matter.”