AVIATION IN NEW ZEALAND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 17 July 1929, Page 3

AVIATION IN NEW ZEALAND

—O" PROVISION 01 AERODROMES IJILL TO Ii.MI'OWKK LOCAL lIUDJIW (Hy Telegraph) (Prom "The. Mail's" Parliamentary J tc porter) WKLLINOTON. IWh .inlyImportant proposal.- designed li. help ihf progress ni aviation in Now Zea land ;ii'i: contained in the Local < Aulli unties (Aviation Kin.ourageiiieni) liill wliH'li will come before tile House of Representatives lor consideration shortly. The Bill is divided into l.\vo parts. The first part gives authority to local bodies of any kind to contribute to wards tin l cost 1 of making landing places lot' aircraft, the contributions lining based upon lliu amoiuit of nnauiborisi'd expenditure which a local body may expend. The existing municipal law allows so much to :i li.vnl body by way of unauthorised expenditure, the amo-nnl in each ruse being fixed according ito the population and the rating value ill the district. In effect, the Bill enables a. local body Lo expend an additional amount equal to- its statutory amount of unauthorised expenditure as a contribution towards the cost of providing a landing ground. In. uiher words, the amount of its unauthorised expenditure may be. doubled. If it is desired to allocate more than this, extra amount of unauthorised expenditure for aviation purposes the local body may apply for the necessary permission to' the Local. Government Loans Board. Part 2 of the Bill is important, in that it meets the position where local bodies desire U> go in for a good deal of expenditure lo provide aerodromes. Many local authorities arc now prepared to provide aerodromes, but no legal sanction exists fur them (o incur the largo co«t which may he involved. This part of the liill provides the necessary machinery and authority for raising the money, and if the Bill passes it will not bo necessary to seek the approval of the ratepayers. The Jl] i J meets the position of several local bodies who are willing to accept offers of land for aviation grounds but arc unable by law to incur the necessary amount of expenditure involved ill putting the grounds into order for the purpose because of the absence of I statutory authority.