Auckland City Council - Rates

Your rates for 1999/2000 have been formulated after a rigorous Annual Plan consultation process throughout May. We received a total of 1,844 general submissions on our 1999/2000 Draft Annual Plan – a big increase on past years. We also received 14,315 form letters requesting the reintegration of Metro Water Limited.

Most people making submissions had something to say about our proposed rates rise. While people thought the proposed rise was too high, they supported a lower increase.
We reviewed the budget and reduced our initial estimates by $13 million. The result was a much lower rise in general rates.

Key Points:
* Rates – A reduced rates increase in response to your feedback General rates will rise on average by 10.08% which includes a 5.2% increase in the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) rates. General rates income will total $301.7 million, including GST.
Mainstreet programmes in specific commercial areas will continue to be funded by separate rates, with a total income of $3.7 million, including GST. An annual charge of $185 for additional mobile garbage bins (MGBs) will continue to apply to rateable properties. Non-rateable properties will face a similar charge. An annual charge of $132 for refuse collection applies to non-rateable properties that are not provided with an MGB service.
* Rates differentials – A change in balance Residential ratepayers have had an increase in their relative contribution to rates, against a decrease for non-residential ratepayers. Council decided that the present distribution of rates between residential and non-residential ratepayers was not appropriate. The modest reductions from this year start to address previous inequities. Slight changes have also been made to Hauraki Gulf Islands ratepayer groups.

* Airport shareholding – Indicative bids Council owns 108,171,000 shares in Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL), which represents 25.8% of AIAL and is one of Council’s most significant capital assets. The value, based on the current share price, is about $300 million. Council reviewed its options as part of the Annual Plan process and decided to obtain further information. A final decision on the sale will be taken in time for the Strategic Plan review.

More rates help is being offered by Auckland City this year to assist people on low and fixed incomes. Council will top up the Government’s rates rebate scheme so that qualifying ratepayers may receive a rebate or discount on their rates bills of up to $300.

Council has also changed the rules so that Metro Water Limited’s charges are considered along with rates when rebates are calculated. This means ratepayers who qualify will generally have lower than average household incomes but higher than average water bills.

A Rates Help brochure, explaining the rebate scheme and how to apply, is

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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.

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