Chain pulled on toilet tax

Photo / Thinkstock

Matamata-Piako's "pan tax" appears likely to be flushed before ratepayers have the chance to tell the council their views.

The Matamata-Piako District Council is already promoting alternatives to the unpopular proposal to base wastewater charges on how many toilets non-residential properties have, and community groups have found flaws in the proposal.

The council has received an unprecedented 434 submissions to its long-term plan, and the majority of them oppose the pan tax plan.

The public will have its chance to respond to proposals during hearings next week.

But businesses, community organisations and schools have already been vocal in their opposition to the pan tax proposal, saying they would not be able to absorb the huge increases, which would push non-residential wastewater charges up by as much as 2000 per cent.

Matamata-Piako mayor Hugh Vercoe said businesses were more in favour of installing water meters at their own cost, believing this would give a better indication of how much waste water was being generated.

This would then be compared with the household equivalent of 328cu m, the upper limit council allowed.

"If you can show how many household equivalents you are using in water, that would equate to how many waste water connections you have," Mr Vercoe said.

He believed this was fairer than the pan tax, which was not an even representation of the wastewater being used.

Pohlen Hospital chief executive Anton Turner said not-for-profit organisations should be kept at the current flat rate ($593 but rising to $680 from July) or a uniform targeted rate to acknowledge the work they did in the community.