Unaffordable rates rises demand Rates Justice
Media release
VAN – Valley Action Network
4
September, 2007
Unaffordable rates rises demand Rates
Justice, says Valley Action
Network
A government
report released last week confirmed what many grassroots
Hutt residents already know.
The Local Government
Rates Inquiry has found that more and more
ordinary New
Zealanders are finding their rates bill unaffordable, that
rating systems are unfair to low-income households and
that councils
are too focused on paying off
debt.
"Hutt City Council is guilty on all three counts",
said VAN
spokesperson Grant Brookes. "But the biggest
injustice is that while
ordinary people struggle,
millions of dollars have been slashed from
the rates
bills of big corporations."
Four of the councillors now
standing for re-election voted in 2003 to
give a $2.3
million rates remission to Westfield corporation, owners of
Queensgate Mall.
They are Joy Baird, Glenda Barratt,
Angus Finlayson and Ray Wallace.
Former Hutt 2020
Mayoral candidate Scott Dalziell also voted for the
rates remission for this multinational
corporation.
"Westfield aren't the only ones who've
benefited", observed Grant
Brookes. "Any other big
corporation with $2.5 million to spend can
apply to get
their rates cut, too.
"Hutt City residents deserve Rates
Justice. Our policy, released today,
will deliver
it."
The policy, reproduced below, is part of VAN's six point programme:
• A Human City – Putting people
before big business interests
• A Green City –
Action on climate change. Zero tolerance for
polluters
• Grassroots Democracy – Community Boards
for all, with extra powers
• Rates Justice –
Reductions based on need. Residents before greedy
corporations
• Free Council Services – Not just
protected but extended
• Free and Frequent Public
Transport – It makes climate sense and
serves the
people.
The group will be putting detailed statements on
all six points in
front of voters and on its website
(www.huttvan.org.nz) before the
election.
In order to
vote, Hutt City residents must either be on the electoral
roll or they must contact the electoral officer at Hutt
City Council
on 570 6792 to request a ‘special
declaration’ voting paper from.
Postal voting takes place from 21 September to 13 October.
-------------
Rates justice – Reductions
based on need. Residents before greedy
corporations
The biggest corporation in Lower Hutt has
been let off paying millions
of dollars in
rates.
Westfield, the owner of Queensgate Mall, was given
a three-year, $2.3
million rates remission by Hutt City
Council at the end of 2003. This
slashed its rates bill
for 2004-7 by over half.
Another wealthy corporation,
commercial property firm Land Equity
Group, has been
given a rates remission, too.
Westfield can afford to
pay. Last year this fabulously rich company
made a $6
billion profit, after tax.
Meanwhile, half the adults
living in the Hutt struggle to pay rates and
get by on
less than $540 a week, before tax. Many have to support
families on this as well.
Residents carry nearly two
thirds of the City’s rates burden. Small
businesses
outside the Central Business District pay most of the
remaining third.
Rich corporations get write-offs,
but if we don’t pay all our rates on
time we’re
slapped with penalties. Where’s the justice?
The
Council says rates remissions like these are needed to
attract big
corporations to the Hutt in order to create
jobs.
But Westfield had already bought the land and was
signing up tenants
for the new mall before the rates
write-off was agreed.
It looked like they were coming
anyway, and the rates remission was
just icing on the
cake.
Westfield isn’t truly grateful for what it has
received. Instead, this
greedy corporation is
complaining about having to pay full rates from
next
year and demanding more hand-outs.
We say, big
corporations should pay their fair share. If the Council
can afford rates remissions, let’s start with the most
needy
ratepayers.
If we’re elected, VAN – Valley
Action Network will work for rates
justice by:
*
Launching a petition demanding the Council scraps its policy
of
“rates remission for economic development”, which
gives wasteful
handouts to greedy corporations.
*
Pushing for a new policy to give rates remissions based on
proven
need, as recommended by the latest Local
Government Rates Inquiry.
* Putting forward a vision of
Hutt City as a Human City, which values
people over
business
interests.
ENDS