Rates tax unfair

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 15, Issue 689, 3 June 1997, Page 4

Rates tax unfair

• Rates in the Ruapehu district have been characterised by violent swings in land values between urban and rural and north and south. If we keep on with this simplistic and unfair system we will continue to see rate rises in the order of 16% which many of us may now face. We should be moving to a differential rating system to prevent these wild swings and massive rate increases. This may be necessary under the Local Government Act Amendment No. 3. That amendment also stops this nonsense that rates are a tax. Councillors who claim that the present rating system is perfect and the rate increases are the fault of Valuation New Zealand are naive and stupid. Let's put a better and fairer system in place. This proposed landfill maintenance charge of $132 per house, regardless if it is occupied or only used as shearers' quarters or whether it generates any rubbish for the landfill, is again unfair as we are told that the charge is necessary to pay the high cost of keeping the Ohakune landfill open longer hours to suit the skiers. Come on Community Board members, ask the council to reduce this charge to $45, the same as the north and collect the difference by user charges at the landfill gates.

Winston

Oliver,

Orautoha