ARC To Change Rates System - Barnett Votes Against

Michael Barnett did attend the ARC meeting today - and did vote AGAINST introducing a business differential of 1.5.[Businesses would pay 50% more than residential properties of the same value].

Despite that the ARC did vote IN FAVOUR of the differential - by 7 votes to 6. However the council will meet again on June 8th - and there is always the possibility that the business lobby may try to reverse the situation.

The council also decided to introduce a new method for calculating the Transport Rate - based on charging more to ratepayers who live in areas well serviced by public transport.

Actual details of this are still being debated, and until final decisions are made it is not possible to calculate the effect of this new method on individual ratepayers.

All in all, this is better news for most residential ratepayers - and businesses are still much better off than they were two years ago in terms of rates demands.

The Rates Rebellion movement co-ordinators meet later today to consider their position in the light of the modest but very significant victory.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>