Ratepayers paying through the nozzle
Have a say on the council’s proposed budget and rates rises
Like the surge in food and housing prices, spiking fossil fuel costs don’t hit us all the same.
What madness. Huge price jumps for petrol, food, rents and more. Inflation is back. And it’s got us all looking at the percentage increases, and for new ways to avoid the pain.
Like the surge in food and housing prices, spiking fossil fuel costs don’t hit us all the same. People on low incomes and in big cars are hit hardest. People on bikes or in electric cars not so much. Then there’s the emissions issue and climate disruption, with everyone set to feel the pain as the climate crisis bites.
For the sake of our household budgets, and our future, today’s pain at the pump is a great reason to cut back on petrol. There are options, and your best choice depends largely on your own needs. For some, going by bike might do the trick. Or using the bus for routine trips, leaving the car at home. Maybe you’re able to get a second-hand electric car. They all mean fewer trips to the pump.
The Government cutting bus fares by half is a good start. Free would be better, allowing anyone to ride anywhere any time. The free fares investment case is strong. Getting more people on public transport helps cities move and grow more efficiently. It lifts productivity and helps cut emissions. And for those still needing to go by car, more people on the bus means you’re more likely to find an empty parking spot.
The petrol price spike is boosting interest in ebikes as well. And no wonder. They’re a great way to get around Palmy. I bought a used one in 2015. Best investment ever, still going strong. I zip along at 30 km/h enjoying the fresh air. I’m never slowed by traffic, and don’t need to search for carparks. Plus I can hop off right outside my destination. Overall, the ebike means our car makes only a couple trips a week, instead of a couple trips a day. All up, fewer trips to the pump.
Buses and ebikes are good, but could be even better. For a start, the Government should listen to freefares.nz and use Budget 22 to make free fares permanent on all public transport, and also halve the price of ebikes.
Of course, petrol isn’t the only place where inflation and the percentages are causing pain. The city has real growing pains, and is facing the same inflation pressure of higher costs and supply issues. And with costs going up that means a rates rise is proposed.
Like the petrol costs, the impact of the rates rise is very uneven. In this case, differences in property value inflation are the main cause. Local non-residential property values, including commercial and industrial, have increased nearly 50 per cent in the last three years. Residential has jumped twice as much, up 95 per cent over the same period.
Despite some adjustment made in the council’s rating formula, residential values jumping twice as much as non-residential has led to big differences in rates impact. The average household faces an increase of 11.2 per cent. In contrast, nonresidential rates are proposed to drop by 3.5 per cent. Like I said, not very even at all.
You can have a say on the council’s proposed budget. The council is seeking feedback on all aspects of the budget, including views on what’s a fair balance for residential and nonresidential rates. You’re welcome to phone 356 8199 and respectfully share your views with council staff, or visit www.pncc.govt.nz to browse the proposal and provide feedback, any time up until April 21.
Brent Barrett is an environmental advocate, city councillor and scientist. The views expressed here are his own.