Rates a big issue on the Shore

Auckland's North Shore. Photo / NZ Herald

While hopeful politicians polish their CVs and rehearse catchy slogans, North Shore ratepayers are counting the cost of their city council's decisions since the last election.

Candidates standing for the new North Shore ward of the Auckland Council can expect questions on how affordable property rates will be when there is a whole Super City to run.

In this ward, which is about twice the size of Whangarei, household rates have risen steadily.

A Northcote home owner's city council rates bill, including the regional amenities levy, has gone from $1664 to $1783 to $1913.

For 2007-08 rates, set just before the last election, the bill was $1571.

The successive rates rises for the present council term were 5.91 per cent, 7.18 per cent and this year 7.27 per cent.

A Birkenhead home's rates went from $1828 to $1941, to $2027 and to $2171.

Each year, rates increased by 6.18 per cent, 4.46 per cent and 7.09 per cent.

A Bayswater home's rates have gone from $1780 to $1889 to $2010 to $2116.

The successive rises have been 6.14 per cent, 6.37 per cent and 5.26 per cent.

On top of that comes the Auckland Regional Council rates bill, which is $220 for the Northcote house, $380 for the Birkenhead house and $336 for the Bayswater house.

Ward candidate George Wood recalled that before the 2007 elections he had been mayor for nine years when his council published a plan of works it wanted to start or finish in the next 10 years. This flagged rates rises of 8 per cent a year over six years and the doubling of rates over the decade.

He recalled warm public acceptance for the plan because people wanted to fix sewers that leaked and overflowed and wanted transport improvements such as the Northern Busway. More than $550 million of new capital works on infrastructure was completed over five years.

But the rates rises were an election gift for an aggressive council critic such as Andrew Williams, who successfully campaigned for mayor by promising to spread projects over 15 years with a goal of bringing rates rises down to less than 5 per cent.

This election will not be a return blood match for Mr Wood and Mr Williams.

Mr Williams is standing for the Auckland mayoralty, which will boost his profile in an alternative bid for a seat in the neighbouring Albany ward.

Mr Wood supports reform of Auckland and has linked with the Citizens and Ratepayers ticket for his Super City bid.

He would be the "social conscience" of the ticket, which had put his policy for building strong communities on top of its list. He said he aimed to ensure that the issue on the Shore

rates and Auckland's debt burden was managed effectively.

"We have to keep a lid on costs. I've gained experience in how to do things in a more affordable way than probably when I was mayor of North Shore."

He faces strong competition.

Dr Grant Gillon, a former MP, has been influential as strategy and finance chairman in Mr Williams' term, particularly in shaping the 2009-2024 long-term plan.

The father of Paula Gillon, Labour candidate for Northcote, and John Gillon, who is chairman of the Glenfield Community Board, he said he was "truly independent".

Rate costs were a bigger issue than transport, he said. People worried about the new council moving to a different rating system and bringing in volumetric charges for waste water. North Shore had aimed at cost recovery only through a fixed annual charge for sewerage.

A frequent opponent in council debates, Chris Darby, leads the Shore Voice ticket, which he said wanted collaboration with the North Shore's five MPs who are Government ministers.

During his six years on the council, he sat on the Regional Land Transport Committee.

Not enough was known about the implications for ratepayers and taxpayers of works such as a third harbour crossing.

Dr Joel Cayford has been North Shore's representative on the Auckland Regional Council for six years and Christine Rankin for three. Both wish to represent the ward.

Ms Rankin is also a North Now candidate for the Upper Harbour local board.

Dr Cayford said he had experience in dealing with council-controlled organisations and would try to keep them accountable.

He was cynical about the announcement that Watercare Services would from July charge $1.30 per 1000 litres for drinking water, compared with $1.52 now, saying "I'm concerned about extra charges down the track."

Population: 143,200

Median age: 35

Median family income: $65,811.

Ethnicity: European 65.2 per cent, Asian 19.8 per cent, Maori 17.3 per cent, Pacific 4.3 per cent.

Birthplace: NZ-born 60.7 per cent, overseas-born 39.3 per cent.

CANDIDATES

Councillors: 2

Steve Ashby, Mary-Anne Benson-Cooper, Joel Cayford (Independent) Chris Darby (Shore Voice), Harry Fong, Grant Gillon (Independent), Ann Hartley (Shore Voice), Vivienne Keohane, Ken McKay, Jan O'Connor (Independent) Christine Rankin (North Now), George Wood (Citizens & Ratepayers-North Shore).