Council backs down after pensioners' rates revolt

Residents of two Orewa retirement villages have stared down a council's threat to lift rates bills by more than a third on last year.

Instead, a more modest increase is on the cards after they argued that Rodney District Council proposals were unfair.

"It was a shock for everyone to hear a 38 per cent rise proposed," said Maygrove Village resident Jill Jeffs.

"A lot of residents are widowed and on a pension and some have lost investments and are getting less interest on their savings.

"They were dropping a massive increase on the people who could least afford it," said Mrs Jeffs.

Fellow resident Robin Wilson said the proposal of $301,000 for the 190-unit village would have meant a rise of $8.45 a week for each resident.

"This exceeded any increase people got on their national superannuation. It got us interested when we found out the rates for villages outside of Rodney were about 5 per cent," said Mr Wilson.

'We pointed out we were hard done by because we are not big users of community facilities and provide our own pool, roads and lighting," said Peninsula Club residents' association chairman Alan Wintour.

"People are worried about a 17 per cent rates increase over last year on 162 villas."

Residents are not eligible for the state rates rebate scheme because they do not have clear title to their units. They bought a right to occupy their units and the ratepayer is the village owner, though residents pay for rates in weekly outgoings.

Village operators have joined residents in putting their feelings to Rodney Mayor Penny Webster and councillors.

"The rates estimate really put the cat among the pigeons," said Howard Jury, who is a director of Maygrove's owners, Hopper Developments.

He said protesting resulted in a bill trimmed to a 3 per cent increase for Maygrove and a change in how the village is valued for rating.

A senior representative of the Peninsula Club's owner, Prime Life, said the council believed it would get the rise for the village down to 4.7 per cent.

A council spokesman said the rates rises quoted to the Herald were indications only and were still under discussion.

The council had recognised the villages' lesser impact on community services by halving the transport rate differential and discounts on some standard water rates.

* Fair go

Maygrove: Was $218,000, proposed $301,000, revised $225,000 (up 3 per cent).

Peninsula Club: Was $196,000, proposed $263,000, revised $230,000 (up 17 per cent).