Some ARC rates up by 30 per cent

By BERNARD ORSMAN

The Auckland Regional Council rating system that caused a revolt across the region last year has come back to bite thousands of rural ratepayers in Papakura and Franklin with rates increases of up to 30 per cent.

However, thousands more south Auckland ratepayers will pay less this year after regional councillors modified the rating system in election year.

About 10,000 Papakura residents will have their rates cut by an average of 20 per cent and 5600 Pukekohe residents will pay an average of 8 per cent less, largely because of changes in the transport rate.

On the other hand, property revaluations have pushed up rates for about 12,000 rural south Auckland households by between 20 per cent and 30 per cent on average.

For people such as pensioner John Hall, of Bombay, a 32.5 per cent rates hike is "way out of control" and he has written to ARC chairwoman Gwen Bull to say his income cannot absorb the rise.

Another Bombay resident, Jeremy Kay, has written to Mrs Bull to protest about a 28.5 per cent rates increase, saying the ARC rating system taking into account rising property values gives the regional council a huge increase in income ahead of ratepayers' ability to pay.

"Responsible government, be it at a local or national level, implies a duty to pursue affordable spending and not crucify ratepayers with increases in cost far in excess of those of any other public body," Mr Kay said in his letter.

Dianne Glenn, the Franklin-Papakura councillor seeking a third term at October's local body elections, said it was going to be tough explaining the rates increases in the run-up to the elections.

Ms Glenn said it was not helpful that Papakura and Franklin properties had been revalued in an election year, especially when other cities in the region had been through the exercise last year.

An administrative blunder that led to rates bills being sent out before a public information campaign, due to start yesterday, was also unhelpful.

She said households in rural Papakura, Franklin and Waiuku were paying more because of rising property values and the introduction of a targeted transport rate in those areas, to be phased in over three years.

Who's paying what

Papakura - 10,090 paying an average 20 per cent less.

Rural Papakura - 1870 paying an average 27 per cent more.

Waiuku - 2310 paying an average 21 per cent more.

Pukekohe - 5620 paying an average 8 per cent less.

Rural Franklin - 8020 paying an average 30 per cent more

Source ARC - household ratepayers