NoMoreRates.com
Call For A Fairer Rates System

MEDIA RELEASE       23 October 2007

Statement from David Thornton.

All Councils should refuse to allocate rates income to funding Eden Park upgrade.

Government must pay.

Rates and rate increases were a key factor in the recent local elections.

Ratepayers must now keep the pressure on newly-elected councils and demand that no ratepayers funds should be allocated for the Eden Park upgrade.

The repeated claim that everyone will benefit economically from hosting the Rugby World Cup 2001does not wash with many ratepayers who are already being financially stretched by high rate increases.

And Auckland City Council should stop bleating that it wants other councils in the Auckland region to contribute.

It is businesses in central Auckland which will gain the most financially from the tourist spend during the 2011 tournament. A point confirmed this morning by Prime Minister Helen Clark in an interview with Paul Holmes.

Businesses in other parts of the country will also benefit financially from the tourist spend.

But there will be no financial gain to ratepayers.

There will be significant benefits to the country as a whole – not least, extra taxation paid to central government.

The government has already agreed to underwrite the Eden Park upgrade – so let’s stop this endless war of words about who pays.

The government  must pay - and leave local councils to concentrate on holding or reducing rates as demanded in the recent Rates Inquiry.

ends

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