From Gwen Bull, Chair of ARC

Following discussions with all available Councillors today, I would like to make the following statements on behalf of the Auckland Regional Council.

We are hearing the concerns expressed by the various groups and individuals about our rates this year. As a Council we want to be solution based and are committed to a complete review of our rating methods for the next rating period.

Meetings have already started with some of these ratepayer groups and we would like anyone who wants to participate to send their contact details to Rates Review at P. O. Box 92012, Auckland.

It has also become very evident that some of our citizens are experiencing genuine hardship due to the arrival of this account. This is causing us considerable concern and we want to do everything possible to ease this burden.

We have asked our staff to investigate all possible methods that are available to us to ease this situation for these people and will make an announcement as quickly as possible.

There have been calls to change the rates this year. We have investigated the legal, technical and financial implications of this.

During this process it has become very clear, that apart from the legal and technical difficulties, the additional financial cost of this would impose several million dollars of additional costs to the ratepayers.

We are absolutely committed to working with the ratepayers of the region to develop the best possible rating model for next year.

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