NoMoreRates.com
THE nationwide CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF COUNCIL RATES WITH A FAIRER SYSTEM INCLUDING RESTRAINTS ON COUNCILS ABILITY TO INCREASE EXPENDITURE WITHOUT THE SPECIFIC APPROVAL OF THE COMMUNITY
www.NoMoreRates.com

6 November 2006

Statement from David Thornton Founder/Organiser ‘NoMoreRates’

Auckland Reorganisation Plans Will Hit Ratepayers Hard.

Democracy Under Threat.

The proposal to re-organise Auckland’s local government is a threat to every one of the half million ratepayers in the region.

The StrongerAuckland discussion paper is yet another ploy to dodge the real issue of ongoing huge rate increases over the next 10 years

The discussion document offers three options for each of the regions councils to consider – and to come up with an agreed single proposal to present to central government, after which draft legislation will be prepared for select committee consideration.

Ratepayers and residents will have no input into this process until the draft legislation is before a select committee.

The effect of any change to strengthen regional governance will be to give all rating powers to a regional body – and the fiasco of the 2003 ARC rates setting process and subsequent ‘ratepayers rebellion’will be repeated all over again.

Local politicians and central government seem determined to have new arrangements in place before the next local elections now less than eleven months away.

This latest anti-democratic move is another step in the downward spiral of the political climate generally.

New Zealanders are being taken for a ride by politicians at local, regional and national level.

True democracy is under real threat.

ENDS

[see www.strongerauckland.org.nz for discussion paper]

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