This Act may be cited as the Christchurch Rating Agreements Enabling Act, 1916.

Where the whole or any part of the district of a local authority is about to be included in the City of Christchurch it shall be lawful, notwithstanding anything contained in the Rating Act, 1908, and the several Acts amending the same, for the local authorities of the City of Christchurch and such district to agree, by writing under their common seals, prior to such inclusion that the rating system in force in such district shall, notwithstanding such inclusion, continue in force as to the portion of such district so included within the said city, and for such time and upon such terms and conditions as such local authorities shall so agree; and such agreement shall have effect accordingly.

It shall be lawful at any time after the inclusion in the said city of such district or part of a district for the ratepayers of the district or part of a district so included to adopt the system of rating on the unimproved value, and for that purpose the district or part of a district so united or included shall be deemed to be a district within the meaning of the word “district” as defined in section thirty-six of the Rating Act, 1908.

Notwithstanding anything contained in section one hundred and twenty-six of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, or section thirty-nine of the Local Elections and Polls Act, 1908, when any adjoining district is incorporated into the city as aforesaid and included in an existing ward the Councillors of such ward shall remain in office until the next succeeding biennial election.