Rates enforcers off to learn from Sydney's experience

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Two Auckland regional councillors at the centre of the rates increase row are off to Sydney to see how local councils deal with growth problems.

ARC chairman Gwen Bull and Ian Bradley, who chairs the strategic policy committee, will make the two-day ratepayer-funded visit next week.

The committee approved the trip so that Mrs Bull, who also heads the Regional Growth Forum, and Mr Bradley could meet state and local council representatives.

A report from strategic policy director Craig Shearer said the trip was an opportunity to learn from the experiences of the much larger Sydney. It was about 15 years ahead of Auckland in dealing with growth problems.

The trip would cost $2500, including $800 for hotels and $300 for meals.

Mrs Bull and Mr Bradley were among seven councillors who voted for the controversial capital value-based ratings system.

Mrs Bull could not be reached for comment yesterday at the Millennium Hotel in Queenstown, where she is attending the Local Government Association Conference.

But Mr Bradley was at his North Shore home - and upset that a ratepayers' meeting earlier in the day had passed a vote of no confidence in him and a fellow North Shore representative on the ARC, Philip Sherry.

The motion, passed with applause, said Mr Bradley and Mr Sherry should resign because they had failed to represent the interests of North Shore ratepayers, who are the hardest hit by the new system.

Mr Bradley was not invited to the meeting and said he regretted not being given the chance to defend himself and the ARC.

The former Navy captain said he had been tempted to quit by the way he was being abused by the anti-rates lobby but he would not give up easily.

"Almost all the rates increase is due to the North Shore City Council's rating policies and recent property revaluation," Mr Bradley said.

If he resigned, he said, a byelection would cost $350,000, which would go straight on to the rates.

"I'm not going to resign on the basis that people don't want to pay on average an extra $30 towards saving Auckland from traffic chaos."

Mr Sherry, the ARC deputy chairman, was at the Queenstown conference too and could not be reached.

The rates vote

Many readers have asked us to republish details of how ARC members voted on the controversial direct rating policy. This is the breakdown.

FOR Gwen Bull, Philip Sherry, Ian Bradley, Judith Bassett, Bill Burrill, Dianne Glenn, Catherine Harland.

AGAINST Sandra Coney, Mike Lee, Paul Walbran, Brian Smith and Craig Little.

Michael Barnett, who is chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, abstained.

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