|
Posted on 31-7-2003
wakeupauckland
Rates Revolt
This is a quick email to bring you
up to date with the actions proposed on the issue of the unilateral
imposition of large rate rises by first, John Banks and his
allies on the Auckland City Council, and lately by the ARC.
Wake Up Auckland calls on the ARC to live on last year’s
income for this year while they go through a democratic, transparent,
accountable and inclusive process to reach an agreed approach
to achieve agreed outcomes.
The issue at stake in the Auckland City is the fact that
the current Council is abusing its legislative powers against
the expressed interests of most Auckland City renters and ratepayers.
They have an explicit agenda of rating low income homeowners
out of their homes as part of the process of freeing up land
in the outer city for sale to developers for intensive multi-storey
housing developments. This policy is officially known
as intensification or the Growth Strategy.
On top of that their costings are based on a for-profit, cash
accumulation business model rather than that of a community
funded public service run for optimum effectiveness to achieve
our shared goals.
The current squabbling that is going on between the ARC and
the Councils is pure self indulgence when we are assaulted every
night by television ads that advertise for support for food
banks because “one in three children in Auckland live in poverty”
and go to bed cold and hungry.
If this is true it must be declared a national emergency and
treated accordingly.
The rate rises are taking cash from people who, if they pay
will be forced on to or over the breadline.
In the case of the ARC the issue is the flagrant breach
of the new Local Government Act 2002 and the lack of consultation
on the collection method (direct collection costs a lot more),
along with the lack of options for payment.
While we recognise that there are serious environmental and
infrastructure problems that will need big cash resources to
fix, it is totally unreasonable to expect people on low or fixed
incomes to shoulder the heaviest load of that burden.
It is also unreasonable to expect us to cough up in one year
to pay for problems that have been created by the mismanagement
over 50 years. A phased programme is needed to implement
agreed solutions to agreed problems.
================
Marney Ainsworth, Community & Group Facilitator, Ph 9-376
6213, Fax 376 0403, Mob: 021 284 7122
WUA
rates revolt meeting schedule
| Date | Time | Place |
|---|
| Wednesday 6 August | 7.30
pm |
Parnell Community Ctre, 545 Parnell Rd. |
|---|
| Thursday 7 August | 7.30
pm |
Avondale Deaf Association, 1836 Gt North Rd |
|---|
| Friday 8 August | 12.30
pm |
Mt Eden War Memorial Hall, 486 Dominion Rd |
|---|
| Monday, 11 August | 7.30
pm |
Onehunga Community Centre, 83 Church St |
|---|
| Tuesday, 12 August | 7.30
pm |
Freeman’s Bay - Community Centre, Hepburn St |
|---|
| Wednesday 13 August | 7.30
pm |
Otahuhu Town Hall, 10 High St |
|---|
| Saturday, 16 August | 12.30
pm |
St Heliers - Tamaki Ex-Services Assn Hall, cnr Turua & Polygon
Sts, |
|---|
| Sunday, 17 August | 2.00
pm |
Waiheke - Ostend War Memorial Hall |
|---|
| Monday 18 August | 8.00
pm |
3 Kings - Fickling Convention Ctre, 546 Mt Albert Rd |
|---|
| Friday, 22 August | 12.30
pm |
Central City - Pioneer Women’s Hall, 2 Freyberg Pl |
|---|
|
