The Short Title of this Act shall be “The Rating Act Amendment Act, 1878.”

This Act shall be read with and as part of “The Rating Act, 1876” (hereinafter called “the said Act”).

The following provisions shall be and be deemed to have been in operation on and as from the day when the said Act came into operation:—

The Local Board of any Local Board district constituted under any Ordinance of the Superintendent and Provincial Council of Wellington may make and levy general or separate rates on the rateable value of the rateable property as defined by the said Act, in the manner and subject to the provisions of the said Act: Provided—

Except as modified by the said Act and this Act, no general or separate rate shall be made or levied unless for the purposes and subject to the conditions of an Act of the Superintendent and Provincial Council of Wellington shortly intituled “The Local Boards Act, 1873.”

Nothing herein contained shall apply to the case of a water rate or other rate fixed by any Act or Ordinance.

Notwithstanding the constitution of any road district after the fifteenth day of January in any year, the Board thereof may levy and make rates to all intents and purposes as if such road district had been constituted before the said fifteenth day of January in such year; but this provision shall not authorize the levying of any rates prior to the day when such district was constituted.

This provision shall be deemed to have been in operation on and as from the day the said Act came into operation.

Whenever, after this Act comes into operation, a new road district shall be constituted after the fifteenth day of January in any year, the first valuation roll for such road district shall be prepared as follows:—

The Board of such road district shall make up from any valuation roll in force a new roll for such new district, and shall place on the roll the name of each person who appears from the existing valuation roll to be the owner or occupier of rateable property situate in such new road district, and shall assign to each the rateable property and the rateable value thereof as appearing on such existing roll.

Such roll, when corrected by the Board, and signed by the Chairman or two members of the Board, shall be the valuation roll for such new district until a new roll is made up in accordance with the said Act and this Act.

Where, before this Act comes into operation, a new road district has been constituted after the fifteenth day of January in any year, the Governor in Council shall be deemed to have been empowered by the said Act to fix all times, and to authorize all things to be done, to enable a first valuation roll for such road district to be made, or rate to be levied, as nearly as may be in accordance with the provisions of the said Act.

The provisions of the fifty-fourth section of the said Act shall extend and be deemed to have extended to all cases where any rate or part thereof is due by a former occupier of any property rated, and which is unpaid as mentioned in the said section.

Any ratepayer who may feel aggrieved by the making of any proposed separate rate may, within two months of the making of such rate, appeal to the Assessment Court against such rate, on the ground that his property will not be benefited or only partially benefited by the proposed work, or that the property of any ratepayer is wholly or partially omitted from the operation of such separate rate, and the Assessment Court shall decide thereon in the manner provided for appeals against general rates.