Fund for user - charges relief

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 396, 23 July 1991, Page 2

Fund for user - charges relief

Churches and preschools will have to pay the user-charges for sewerage and water charges just like everybody else, the Ruapehu District

Council has decided. However the council has decided to set aside a fund of $10,000 to provide for grants to groups that can prove they can't

afford to pay the charges. The council was asked by church groups and pre-school education groups to waive the usercharges which have increased dramatically for such groups. The council was told it could not legally alter the user charges, but that providing grants to groups who apply for assistance was one way around the dilemma. "It is somewhat circular but it achieves the same end," said general manager Cliff Houston. The council's officers are to draft a policy for considering applications for such grants. Cr Doug Bennett said the council should consider individual applications because some were needy but some such organisations were quite wealthy. "Surely if these organisations have a lot of toilets but, as they say, don't need them then they could do away with them and solve their own problem," said Cr Peach. "But some are bound by law to provide a certain number of pans," said Cr Murphy.