It's certainly good to read of the co-operation at the Mayoral Forum between our Northland councils as described by Mayor John Carter in his Northland Age column 'Co-operation in action' (September 25). As Mayor Carter explains; "The common driver towards change has always been the need toachieve greater efficiencies and more cost-effective services in order to keep costs to ratepayers within acceptable levels."
So why not take this level of co-operation somewhat further, and develop a common rate for the whole of Northland? Greater efficiencies would be achieved by one central rates office dispatching rates demands to all the ratepayers of Northland. An immediate efficiency would be the need to have only one council rates department instead of the four presently existing.
At present, the Far North District's rates are higher than those of any other Northland council. We cannot expect the ratepayers of Whangarei District Council, Kaipara District Council and the Northland Regional Council to bale us out by increasing their rates to our level. However, this does not mean to say that the efficiencies and cost savings explained by Mayor Carter cannot be directed towards a staged progression to a common rate for Northland.
I hope Mayor Carter will raise the suggestion of one council rates department for Northland, initially dispatching the rates set by each council, in much the same way that FNDC dispatches the rates set by the Northland Regional Council. The precedent is set, and it works efficiently and effectively. There is no reason why the FNDC and NRC co-operation cannot be extended to include WDC and KDC, with the obvious efficiencies and cost savings which would undoubtedly accrue.
With the new system in place, each council can then take a serious look at the development of a common rate for all of Northland. Not an easy task, I agree, because of the exorbitant level of rates which has developed over recent years at FNDC.
I hope the Mayoral Forum's present co-operative attitude will encourage serious consideration towards a single council rates office, and subsequently towards a common rate for Northland.
