Widow's fury at $111-a-week rate burden

Catherine Curlett faces a rates bill this year of $4567 for her Orakei property. Picture / Greg Bowker

Catherine Curlett's rates have risen by 56 per cent over the past year and she has just figured out that each week she is handing over $111 in various council charges.

The 79-year-old paid $2929.47 in rates last year, but this year faces a bill of $4567.44.

A widow for the past nine years, Mrs Curlett doesn't usually rabble-rouse.

But she is angry at her rates increase from a council that has designated the rating cash-cow of affluent Orakei as "second class" and worthy only of chip and bitumen footpaths.

Mrs Curlett has lived in her weatherboard bungalow for the past 30 years. Her rates hike comes as Aucklanders face an average increase of 13.4 per cent.

"It's ridiculous. The rates this year, plus ARC, plus Metrowater is costing me $111 a week and it's all taxes," she said.

"There's GST on top, which is another tax - so you're taxed on a tax on a tax. And I receive nothing extra. They have no accountability for where and what they spend it on.

"If they overspend they just raise our charges again and you just have to comply. It's a blackmail situation."

Mrs Curlett said despite the amount Orakei residents poured into the council coffers, the pavements were always shonky.

She rang the council to complain, and was told Orakei was designated a "second class" area, which was entitled to bitumen pavements with red chip poured on top.

A neighbour down the road on Paritai Drive has the same gripe. She says her rates are more than $12,000 a year "and rates suck, quite frankly".

Mrs Curlett can afford the rates, but that is not the issue. It's not paying - it's what the money ends up being used on. "Rates should be spent on sensible things. Things people need."

She is happy for rates to go on good pavements, but not things like Vector Arena, or the $320 million Eden Park upgrade.

"You read about them pulling up all the kerbstones in Queen St and replacing them with artificially-aged ones which look the same.

"Who in their right mind wants to pay for that?

"And $85,000 overseas trips by councillors. I'm sure they don't learn much and never do anything with it."

Mrs Curlett's property is valued at about $2 million, of which the land valuation is $1.7 million.

"I will live here until I go into a retirement home.

"The thought of moving after 30 years is pretty daunting. So I'll live here until I get too poor."

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