Rates revolt: Readers respond

The ARC will review its rating policy next year and help those who face genuine hardship now. We asked if that was enough.


The ARC "promise" is totally unacceptable, contemptible and misses the point completely. The problems are:

* The size of the increase.

* The size of the rate burden generally.

* The right of all local authorities to impose increases annually of any amount they wish (or feel they can survive next election) regardless of the rate of inflation.

The ARC's "promise" would do nothing for any one of these problems. But, like instalment rating when introduced, will merely make it easier for some to budget and meet the still grossly excessive total burden.

I have served on a local authority and am fully aware of how grossly extravagantly they operate and how these bureaucracies grow with rate increases year after endless year well in excess of the rate of inflation. The right to do this is the real cause of the burden ratepayers now have to carry.

The Act proposal is aimed at the core of the problem but is not enough. Two per cent above the rate of inflation might not seem too bad, but at present that is more than double the rate of inflation and is still unacceptable in principle. - Peter Miller

* * *

I certainly do not think the ARC has gone far enough. I am not prepared to pay this year's exorbitant increase and then wait for a review for next year's rates.

Either I pay nothing until I get a revised account or at best I will pay last year's rates plus 3.5 per cent and let them sort out the mess. - Tony Hedlund

* * *

The ARC has gone too far, displayed an unacceptable degree of arrogance and upset a large number of usually passive, reasonable people. Older people, who have worked hard over a lifetime to own their own home, are being forced to sell up.

Let the user pay. I'd rather stay at home than catch a bus. - Margaret Cook

* * *

Cancel all the transport segment of ARC rates and collect the money from the Government.

Aucklanders have been paying horrendous amounts of road user charges for years, so let the Government pay some back. - Colin McLean

* * *

Ratepayers are being double-taxed for transport problems. The Government continues to collect fuel tax (intended to alleviate these very problems), which goes to the Consolidated Fund.

Ratepayers (and everyone else) are in danger of being distracted from the real issue. - Brian Dickson

* * *

I believe the ARC's offer to assist people experiencing hardship with paying the new rates and to review the rating policy is perfectly adequate as a response to people's concerns.

The overriding issue for me is that we get Auckland's transport system working well.

Britomart has made it clear that we have a beautiful station with a substandard train service. We are never going to get people off the roads unless we invest in rail infrastructure.

Someone has to pay for the investment. Why shouldn't it be the people who will benefit from it either because they use the trains or enjoy less traffic on the roads?

Aucklanders must commit to this development financially and support needs to be provided to those who are really unable to. - Tricia Fitzgerald

* * *

The ARC should immediately change residential rates to land value and those who have already paid can receive a credit.

If they are not prepared to do this the board should resign and call new elections. - John Brunt

* * *

While I have no problem with paying to support an improved transport structure in the Auckland area, I do have strong feelings about the way the ARC has struck the rating system and their high-handed attitude in imposing a ridiculous period before a penalty is due for unpaid rates.

The ARC has made the mistake of giving people only four weeks to pay before the penalty is imposed.

Under any circumstances a household budget cannot suddenly accommodate an obligatory expense, especially for such large amounts, representing two or more years' savings for many. All ratepayers should be given more time to pay. Expecting ratepayers to pay by credit card is punitive. Interest is added and people who cannot pay within the set time are not likely to want to load their cards with debt.

However, where the rates are more than $200 the ARC should allow a period of payment spread over six months without penalty.

When I retire in a few years on a fixed pension I would never be able to pay such an unexpected increase. - Fran Hunter

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What I think is unprintable. There'd be no need for rate increases if the ARC cut out all the perks they get, cakes, lunches, booze, etc, while us poor people can't afford butter on bread. - Bill Boyle

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In my view, every member of the ARC should resign so that elections can be held. - Howard Scott

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Force the current ARC members to resign. Elect new ones and resolve the rates issues immediately. When people are faced with such unexpected and exorbitant increases in their cost of living homes will be lost and children and the elderly will suffer the most. - J. Concannon

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I think the ARC rate increases are extremely unreasonable.

Auckland desperately needs improvements in the public transport and roading areas, so I would have been prepared for some increase in ARC rates. However, I was so shocked by the increase that for the first time in my life I am considering withholding payment altogether.

The idea that the ARC should start adding penalties to people's bills amidst all this controversy really gets up my nose.

Unless the ARC backs down and recalculates this year's rates in a fairer way, it may be in danger of being unable to collect any rates at all. - Anne Shotbolt

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Definitely time for the ARC to face another election - they have behaved autocratically with complete disregard for ratepayers throughout their term. - Pat MacKay

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The rates revolt directed at the ARC is the usual politically motivated backlash we get in Auckland whenever the bills begin to come in for solutions to problems. The same sort of mentalities and political alliances brought down the original ARC under the leadership of the far-seeing Lee Murdoch and grabbed control of Infrastructure Auckland from the highly successful Bruce Jesson-led team.

Spokespeople from the present "revolt" leadership are quite frank about their aims ... to destroy any vestige of democratically run regional management, to pursue privatisation of transport, and to prevent the wealthiest citizens having to shoulder their due share of rating burdens.

What could help Auckland attack its problems is a Greater Auckland council instead of our petty local bodies which give the "rates revolters" their power base. - Bernard Gadd


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