Schoolteachers' rents slashed in half

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 296, 25 July 1989, Page 5

Schoolteachers' rents slashed in half

Rent for one Ohakune teacher's house has been slashed by the Tenancy Tribunal from $1 10 per week to $55.

The rent is further reduced, to $26.38, until the house is upgraded. A Waiouru house is now $45 down from $90 after a successful appeal by its occupant. Tribunal members had expressed shock at the state of houses such as the Ohakune one and had issued repair orders for it and other houses. The appeals against the rents, from a small minority of Waimarino and Waiouru teachers, were adjourned until the outcome of a Rotorua case was known. In that case the tribunal ruled the Education Department should set rents on an individual basis, not on a "blanket" basis and that it was not right for the Housing Corporation, as another government agency, to carry out the valuations. Also, teachers could argue they had service tenancies where they were required to live in houses provided. According to the New Zealand Education Institute, following the successful appeals many more are likely to be lodged, which would waste vast amounts of Department money and teachers' time. A Waimarino NZEI representative said the amount of work involved in preparing evidence for an appeal was huge. Defence rent Meanwhile Defence Department housing is also to face rent increases.

As a result of a pay and conditions review for defence staff rents will increase to market related rents from October next year, with an interim rise in November this year, said Defence Minister Bob Tizzard last week.

But he said rents would not rise to more than 25 per cent of a serviceman's gross salary. Suggestions that rents could rise by 600 per cent were not valid, said Mr Tizzard, though he said final rent levels are not yet known. Currently, the average weekly rent for Army staff is $29.13.