COUNTY ADMINISTRATION IN TAUPO

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 124, 11 June 1954, Page 6

COUNTY ADMINISTRATION IN TAUPO

PRELIMINARY ARR AN GEMENTS NOW IN HAND

Mr A. H. O'Keefe, of the Department of Internal Affairs, who will shortly take up the duties of Commissioner for the Taupo County, spent some days in Taupo recently in connection with preliminary arrangements for the setting up of county administration in the Taupo County. The Hon. E. B. Corbett, Minister of Lands, announced some time ago that Cabinet had approved the introduction of legislation authorising the appointment of a Commissioner and the bringing of the County under the provisions of the Counties Act. Rating Next Year Ilitherto the only rates levied in the County have been those of the Waikato Hospital Board, and roads have been maintained by the Government through the Works Department. One rec[uirement of the new administrative system is the revision of the rating roll for the County, and Mr O'Keefe expects that this will be completed to enable rating to commence on April 1, 1955. As soon as the Counties Act comes into force in the County all the usual processes of county administration, such as building by-laws, health regulations and so on, will operate and by that time county ofhces will have been established in Taupo. Asked as to the system of rating to be adopted, Mr O'Keefe stated that no decision had yet been made on this point. Unless the legislation introducing county administration specially provides otherwise, the rating will be on the capital value. Replying to a query as to the functions of the commissioner and as to how he would operate, Mr O'Keefe explained that in general the administration would be carried on in the same manner as if there were a council. The county would in due course have its own plant and staff,*though in the early stages it might be assisted by the Ministry of Works. The matter of the standard of road maintenance in the County was mentioned by Mr O'Keefe, and it was pointed out that residents in some of the subdivided areas created in parts of the County area in recent years had felt that the roads in their localities required more attention than they had had. Mr O'Keefe stated that with the introduction of county rating it was hoped to improve the standard of such roads, and that that was, of course, one of the objects in view when the new set-up was decided on. County Boundaries The County forms a roughly rectangular area some sixty miles north and south, and the same distance east and west. On the north it is bounded by the Waikato River and adjoining counties are those of Whakatane, Rotorua and Matamata. On the west the adjoining counties are those of Otorohanga, Waitomo, Taumarunui and Kaitieke. In the vicinity of Lake Taupo the western county boundary is formed by the Lake shore itself, from the Kotukutuku Stream, west of Waihora, to the southern corner of the Lake near the village of Waihi. From there the boundary runs in a direct line to the summit of Tongariro mountain, thence to the sum-

mits of Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. From Ruapehu the boundary runs approximately east, the adjoining counties on this southern line being Waimarino, Rangitikei and Iiawke's Bay. The Mohaka River forms the south- easterii boundary. Counties on the east are Hawke's Bay, Wairoa and' Whakatane.