14 ~ Wednesday, July 14, 1993 ~ North Shore News

Taxpayers want GV
protect region’s livability

Report summarizes Creating Our Future forums

SEVENTY-SEVEN per cent
of participants in the
Greater Vancouver Regional
District’s Creating Our
Future: Critical Choices
public consultation program
support paying an average
of $104 per $100,000 of
current assessed residential
value to implement the
GVRD long-range financial
plan.

Another 57% support paying

an average of $150 per $100,000
of residential assessed value, and
31% support paying $190 or
more.
- These findings are-included in a
46-page report received by the
GVRD board recently, which
summarizes public input gathered
during the Creating Our Future:
Critical Choices public consulta-
tion program held in May.

‘Input was gathered during a

_ series of six simultaneous’ public -
throughout the.

‘meetings held’
‘region,. and. through a .16-page
' newspaper insert outlining the ma-

jor GVRD ‘programs and their tax:
Approximately .2,C00°

impacts.
people participated Girectly in the
consultation. alot

The public input. will: assist “the
" -GVRD. board in- ‘making decisions

‘about: costs.:and : priorities for a.
-long-range “financial . plan for. air"

quality,” drinking < water ‘quality,

-* ‘solid | waste, liquid waste, growth
“management . and’ transportation,

~ regional parks and hospitals.

The: long-range plan comprises .

‘major projects that--would cost

$2.8 billion between 1992 and the 7

_< year. 2000. Provincial. government
‘. grants could reduce the local tax-
payers’ bill to $1.5 billion.

If the plan is fully implemented,
. the tax"impact.on a single-family
.-home assessed at $250,000 would
“rise from $260 in 1993. to $475 by
the year 2000.

‘The report shows that 61% of
participants want more emphasis :
“on air quality programs and: 54%
want more emphasis.on- programs

to improve drinking water quality.
'* Forty-three per’ cent. of partici-

pants. support. the proposed long-.

range’ hospital’. program, — while

. 48%. want more’ emphasis ‘on liq-

“wid waste, | regional Parks and
~ solid waste programs, *'

‘ Other <. findings - in. the report

. ° _show that:. :

@.89% of ‘the participants sup-.

‘port or strongly support a Green
Zone, including park land and the
protection of. agricultural. lands

. from, urban .'development. « Fifty- :

. three per. cent support. $mailer ‘res-

idential’ building lots to! make the |
‘best .use ‘of: land’ and “maximize *

- open space.

®@ 54%: of participants. are willing,

to: ‘live’ in higher density’ com-
‘ munities to ‘maintain the: quality
of life in the region.” 4!

@:80% * of participants | support ~

- voluntary trip ‘reduction , programs
‘to reduce vehicle use and 73% are

willing to reduce their use of the .-
automobile: to. decrease’ air: pellu- .

tion and reduce traffic congestion.’
- @.. When asked how regional park
“tax dollars should be spent, 71%
of ‘participants ‘ identified buying

’ key park lands as the highest pri”

ority, 69% identified protecting
natural habitats and 54% iden-
tified ‘providing basic park facili-
ties.

®@ Participants generally support
higher. levels of hospital services
and higher taxes to pay for these
services.’

However, participants: have
“concerns abeut the role of the
GVRD in health care, and many
suggested: that..this. should be a
provincial responsibility and not a
-GVRD priority.

~ @ When asked to choose between ~

two options for improving drink-

ing water quality, 33% of partici-
pants did not know or preferred
some other solution.

@ The majority of participants
(77%) agree that there should be a
fee for garbage collection based
on the quantity of garbage set
out.

Many participants support user
fees or garbage collection fees as
an incentive to reduce waste pro-
duced, and to offset rising costs.
If new disposal options are need-
ed, 59% support incineration
compared to 21% for landfill;
© The majority (66%) of partici-

‘Education. Department,

pants support implementing the
tegion’s complete liquid waste
management plan over the next
eight years. Only 14% expressed
low or no support for the pro-
gram, estimated to cost nearly
$1.1 billion. ;

The majority of participants
(58%) identified secondary treat-
ment as a high priority.

Copies of the Critical Choices
consultation summary report are
available free of charge from the
GVRD Communications and
19th
floor, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby.

FAS-T COLLISION REPAIRS QvHElg,

FREE COURTESY CARS
QUALITY WORKMANSHIP
PRECISION REPAIRS
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

TRREE ESTIMATES & 2428. INFORMATION
CONSULTATION

298.3000

Behind every ‘ship that moves through 6 our “port i is'a sophisticated network
that makes each voyage possible. Tug and barge companies, rail; truck, and -
bus lines, terminal.operators, longshore workers and freight forwarders -
working i in unison to © keep goods moving fo and from the port.

The: Port of Vancouver i is proud to be a part of this: modem, ‘efficient and
cost effective transportation system - keeping Canadian’ trade competitive
throughout the world.

| "Cariada’ s Front Door On The Pacific".

A message frorn the Vancouver Pott Corporation