This Act may be cited as the Thames-Coromandel District Council Ambulance Levy Act 1981.

For the purposes specified in this section, the Thames-Coromandel District Council is hereby empowered to make and levy a uniform annual charge upon each property which is separately rateable under the Rating Act 1967 and which is situated within any portion of the Coromandel Division of the Thames-Coromandel District Council which the Council may from time to time define by special order for the purposes of this Act:

Provided that where in any year any person is the sole occupier (as defined in section 2 of the Rating Act 1967) or any persons are the sole occupiers (as so defined) of more than one such property (whether or not those properties are in the same defined portion of the district) the charge for that year shall not be levied in respect of each of his or their properties but only in respect of such one of his or their properties as the Council determines.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in section 143 of the Local Government Act 1974 or any other provision of that Act, the uniform annual charge shall be of such amount, not exceeding $5, in each defined portion of the District as may be fixed by the Council from year to year. Subject to the limit of $5, the amounts of the charges fixed in respect of each such defined portion of the district may be different.

Subject to subsection (5) of this section, the money derived from the said levy shall be used for the purchasing of ambulances and for the payment of the running costs and maintenance of ambulances to be stationed within the Coromandel Division of the Thames-Coromandel District, and to provide a fund for the replacement of the said ambulances.

Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, every such levy shall be included in and shall form part of the rates assessments issued annually by the Council and shall be recoverable in the same manner as rates are recoverable under the Rating Act 1967.

For the purposes of section 171 of the Local Government Act 1974, any uniform annual charge levied under this Act shall be deemed to be a separate rate and that section shall apply accordingly with all necessary modifications.

The Coromandel County Council Ambulance Levy Act 1969 is hereby repealed.