The New Zealand Herald has today revealed the number of Aucklanders postponing rate payments has skyrocketed to 648 in the last financial year – up 65 percent from only five years earlier.

“The number of Aucklanders having to delay rates payments is far higher than other parts of the country, with other large councils having less than ten postponements in the same five-year period” said Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance Spokesman, Sam Warren.

“Even after factoring in the large population increases in our largest city, this increase is staggering.”

“We get dozens of emails each month from ratepayers up and down the country, many of which are from retirees on fixed incomes, who are hit hard by ongoing rate increases.”

“It’s fine that councils offer some kind of reprieve for those struggling, but I think this highlights the urgency that more must be done to rein in bad council spending decisions to keep rates manageable.”

“The cost of living remains stubbornly high, in part, because rates have increased so much – averaging 14 percent across the board just last year. Incredibly, Auckland is actually below this average, but still well above inflation with further rates increases planned year-on-year still.”

“In December last year, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown announced a raft of changes to councils, including the possibility of introducing a rates capping mechanism. Considering today’s news, employing such a system would be well overdue to keep councils in check.”

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