RatesRebellion

Formerly known as the Regional Ratepayers Rebellion campaign. The campaign fighting the Auckland Regional Council's rating polices and rates increases.

NEWSLETTER - 7 April 2004

A quick review - then into the future - and we are not RAM

The Regional Ratepayers Rebellion campaign has attracted huge support since its launch following last year's unpopular Auckland Regional Council direct rating policies and increases.

At its height the campaign had over 100,000 people withholding all or part of their regional rates.

As recently as 19th March that number was still over 66,000.

The Rebellion also collected a massive 40,000 signatures over a six week period in two petitions of protest which were presented to the ARC.

Rebellion co-ordinators have fielded phone-calls, letters, faxes and emails in the hundreds.

The campaign has spoken at dozens of meetings and received huge support from the public.

Such was the outcry that significant media attention ensured that central Government eventually sat up and took notice - and the Rebellion can justifiably claim that it was a major influence behind the Governments decision in December to put more money into sorting Auckland's transport problems.

In December and January the campaign also made strong representations in meetings with ARC representatives for changes to the rating policies. Some of these changes are now in the draft Regional Plan as options on which the public can submit.

Included in those options are proposals for a more targeted transport rate and the introduction of business differentials.

There is also in the plan a proposal for instalment payments - an option requested by many ratepayers and for which we asked in our submission to the ARC in January

All these achievements are the result of work by the Rebellion - and the huge support by those tens of thousands of ratepayers who have withheld their rates.

We must now use the full weight of this support by deluging the ARC with submissions on its plans. We are preparing a draft suggested submission which will shortly be on the Rebellion website http://www.ratesrebellion.org.nz

We have also launched a Legal Defence Fund to assist the first ratepayer taken to court by the ARC for non-payment. That fund is not for any other purpose and details are on the website.

Some supporters will have received an approach for funds from an organisation called RAM which claims to be the 'political voice of the rates revolt'.

The Rebellion campaign is in no way connected with RAM. - which has arisen out of a 'Socialist Worker' initiative.

The Rebellion is only calling for donations to its Legal Defence Fund - although we may launch an appeal for funding for our election candidates in a few weeks time.

Meanwhile do not forget to come to our FRESH START meeting on Sunday 18th April at 2pm in the Marlborough Hall, Chartwell Avenue, Glenfield.

ENDS

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