The Auckland supercity has raised rates almost 10%, costing the average household there about $3000 more a year. This, despite the argument that a supercity would cost less to run.
The Greater Wellington Regional Council is currently proposing to increase rates by 77% and levies by 92% over the next ten years.
Not many people are aware of that, because the GWRC has hidden it. See this page summarising the 10 year plan. It only says the rise is an average $38 a year for ratepayers in 2015/16. Easy enough for most of their salaried staff to handle. It does not tell us what the rates will be over the full ten years. Why not? Because it knows we won’t like it. That’s the treatment the public gets from remote supra-regional organisations like GWRC. Thank goodness they aren’t going to be in charge of a supercity – despite their best efforts so far.
The NZHerald published a great cartoon depicting ratepayers as the surprised victims of a blood sucking vampire-like supercity.
GWRC is a quick learner in the vampire business.
