Editorial: Rates to be hot topic in election

Rates are always one of the Rs that get people going before an election.

There's rubbish, and roading of course.

Comparatively we are one of the country's cheaper regions, we learned recently, when it comes to rates. But then, we should be.

Northland is not overtly affluent. It should be cheaper to live here, than say, Taupo or Hawke's Bay.

It doesn't stop rates increases hitting people hard.

In our letters column today, a reader asks why she should have to sell the family home after 60 years because they can't afford the rates bill.

Good question. It doesn't seem fair when you work hard to be able to live on the coast in retirement, and then watch your income reduce and your rates continue to rise.

And if you are on the coast on tank water, with no rubbish collection and a dodgy metal road, it's a bitter pill to swallow.

Bear in mind some districts like Whangarei are in catch-up mode, having held rates increases back, and then found itself lacking the "income" to provide the living environment that ratepayers expect and demand.

I spoke with a former Aucklander this week, who moved to Waipu to follow friends who had relocated.

Now retired, he struggles to understand why his rate bill in Auckland was cheaper than in Waipu. I asked whether he was on a coastal block, water views, etc. No, he said.

No internet either, which was why he rang me, because he wanted a phone number for Go Whangarei who have a zero rate increase policy. Sounded interesting and he wanted to know more.

It is a bold election promise because to make it happen eight Go Whangarei candidates have to be elected, to guarantee domination of any "zero increase" vote.

The question, of course, is where will the money come from if it's not coming through rates?

I am sure we will hear more about that, because all candidates, not just party ones, are going to be asked questions about rates in the next month or so. It's early days but rates looks likely to be a hot topic in 2016.