Councillors seek higher rates rebates
DUNEDIN city councillors owe it to the city’s most financially vulnerable to do ‘‘everything in our power to push back’’ against a rising cost of living, Cr Mandy Mayhem says.
Councillors this week voted 103 in favour of her motion to write to Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and ask for an increase in the government’s rates rebate scheme to between $1000 and $1500.
Mr Brown only two weeks ago announced an increase to the rates rebate, from $750 to $790, but Cr Mayhem said that hike, which reflected the 4.7% rise of the consumer price index (CPI) last year, was not enough.
‘‘The funding system for coun
cils is broken, homeowners in New Zealand are facing an average rates rise of 15%. This could mean each household is paying an average of $8 extra per week just on
their rates.
‘‘We are experiencing a costofliving crisis and we owe it to our residents to do everything in our power to push back and request whatever government assistance we can.’’
Rates rises could disproportionately affect people with lower incomes, potentially leading to financial hardship and housing instability.
She wanted to see standardisation of the eligibility criteria for rates rebates and a prioritisation of senior citizens.
Only Crs Lee Vandervis and Brent Weatherall and Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich voted against writing to the minister. Mr Radich said the justannounced increase was determined in the same way as each of the past five years’ increases.
‘‘I don’t think it’s appropriate to be hot on the heels of them making a decision for us to then submit to government saying ‘No, no, no, that’s all wrong, you should be [increasing the rebate] by this vastly different amount’.’’
Cr Vandervis called the letter a waste of time that would likely only result in an ‘‘eyeroll’’ from the minister.
The council should not look to ‘‘sidestep our own profligate spending’’ by calling on central government for help, he said. Cr Weatherall said the recently unveiled $500,000plus playground in George St highlighted what the council needed to do to get the city’s finances under control.
‘‘In my short time on council I am sick and tired of some councillors continually wanting to vote for deluxe options of spending, which have a huge impact on rates rises.’’
But Cr Carmen Houlahan said it was only fair the government should pay more now, ‘‘particularly now when they’re putting all these costs on us’’.
‘‘The government has enforced things upon local government again and again and again . . . they’re causing this increase in costs that we then have to put on ratepayers.’’ Among those who agreed was Cr Marie Laufiso.
‘‘Our spending at the local government level would not be necessary if governments over the last 40 years had not practised austerity and neoliberal policies.
‘‘We are spending at a local government level to fill that gap.’’
Cr Andrew Whiley said the issue the councillors were debating was ‘‘not a Dunedin issue, it’s a national issue’’. ‘‘When you look at increasing the current rebate scheme from $750 to $790, people will go backwards on that.
‘‘There has to be a better system.’’
A further motion from Cr Mayhem for a remit on the rates rebate scheme to be developed and taken to the Local Government New Zealand annual meeting won back the support of Mr Radich and Cr Weatherall, passing 121 on Tuesday.
A separate call, to write to new Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston requesting changes to purchasing rules and equipment modifications be scrapped, and that consistent access be given to flexible disability support funding, also passed 121.