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NoMoreRates and the Independent Rates Inquiry of 2007
 Recommendations from the Rates Inquiry of 2007 have largely been ignored by Government and Councils like – but those recommendations must be the starting point for our renewed campaign.
Our final submission to the Inquiry in 2007 included the following background statement.
Over the last four years we have seen a nationwide outcry against council rate increases- including a move by ACT leader Rodney Hide to introduce ‘rate capping’ legislation into Parliament.
In 2003 the Ratepayers Rebellion campaign received huge support for a battle against the Auckland Regional Council rates policy.
At one stage more than 140,000 ratepayers were withholding all or part of their rates – a valiant few are still holding out.
When, early in 2006, councils were forced to produce 10-year financial plans, there was national outrage at the level of rate increases being proposed.
The Auckland ratepayers Rebellion became the nationwide NoMoreRates campaign.
NoMoreRates supporters, including Greypower, launched an assault on MPs via email, letters, faxes and postcards calling on all MPs to support the Rodney Hide’s Rates Capping Bill.
Regrettably the seven members of Winston Peter’s New Zealand First party refused to support the Bill and it was defeated - by just 7 votes in the House of Representatives on August 23rd. 2006
However, as a result of the public outcry, the Government set up an ‘Independent Rates Inquiry’ into the whole question of funding for local councils.
Regrettably the Inquiry Terms of Reference do not mention ‘rate capping’, and ratepayers and residents have no prospect of any protection from more huge rate increases in the next few years.
Which is why we launched a petition which asks Parliament to introduce amending legislation to restrict the level of increases.
The petition had limited circulation via the internet but, in order to get the matter into the system quickly, the first batch of over 5,000 signatures, was presented to Parliament on 12th December 2006.
It was referred to the Local Government Select Committee and NoMoreRates has asked that committee to refer the petition to the Rates Inquiry.
The NoMoreRates campaign raised public awareness of the public meetings of the Rates Inquiry which had until then received very little publicity.
The campaign was also successful in forcing the Inquiry to hold additional public meetings in Auckland and Invercargill.
The campaign attracted support from around the country in the form of letters, emails, phone calls and petitions to parliament.
The current campaign is now concentrating on getting a list of registered supporters to give authority to our claims of being representative of ratepayers views.
This revamped website also invites you to submit comments on your own councils’ rates activities, plus respond to articles and news we will be publishing regularly as we build up our registered membership.
Join today and give power to our cause for justice on rates.
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