Ratepayers told to prepare themselves for more bills today

By NATASHA HARRIS

Auckland local authority leaders are warning householders to brace themselves for a "rude awakening" from further Auckland Regional Council rates bills in the mail today.

Waitakere City, more than half of Manukau City and thousands of homes in the western suburbs of Auckland City will get their bills from today.

The revolt over ARC rates - with some increases as high as 657 per cent - is set to spread as more demands go out. The increases provoked anger in Rodney and on the North Shore last week.

Auckland Mayor John Banks said the increases were mostly not fair and many angry ratepayers had phoned his office.

"They should brace themselves for a rude awakening today ... I've had far more phone calls over this issue than all other single changes at the Auckland City Council put together."

"I accept that some of the additional rise is for transport but I don't accept much of the increase," Mr Banks said.



Manukau Deputy Mayor Anne Candy said many residents in the area could not afford to pay it.

"Manukau has a low socio demographic and the city is being heavily hit. A lot of people can't pay that extra amount and it doesn't seem like the ARC has looked at how the increase will affect these people'."

ARC chairwoman Gwen Bull said the rates increase was unavoidable. "I know there are people struggling but we've tried to make it as easy as we possibly can for them to pay the bill."

Waitakere City councillor Brenda Brady said the council had not discussed the rates bill but she said she did not agree with charging residents and business the same as it was unfair on residents.

Fellow councillor Derek Battersby also did not agree with the rates increase, saying the Auckland Regional Council had "applied the wrong formulas".