Rates Shock

Many Howick, Pakuranga and Botany residents will be shocked to learn that their rates will be going up by over 11 per cent, almost three times the rate of inflation.

Mayor Len Brown proposed this yesterday when presenting his long-term plan.

The Howick is one of the big losers along with the wards of Albert-Eden-Roskill, Maungakiekie-Tamaki, Orakei and the North Shore.

The big winner is the old Waitakere city area with household rate going down 16 per cent.

The mayor has proposed a $350 Uniform Charge – a mechanism used to even out the rates burden – the higher the UC the more evenly rates are apportioned.

My C&R colleagues along with independent Howick councillor Sharon Stewart will be fighting to increase the UC so the rates are spread evenly across the region.

I am also disappointed at the uneven distribution of funding with the bulk of it going into the Auckland CBD. Most people live outside the CBD, most business is outside the CBD but the mayor’s proposal calls for over 40 per cent of the spend going there.

There are also many unanswered questions about the funding of the Inner City Rail Loop. Unless the mayor can convince motorists and the Government to stump up 80 per cent of the $2.4 billion, we can expect an even bigger increase of our rates in the future.

ENDS

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