Rates all up

It would be good to know what the TRC rate increases are likely to be because of their debt loading coursed by their heavy investment in port development projects. The TRC CEO Basil Chamberlain said that Port Taranaki has in the past payed a healthy dividend to the TRC that has been used to of set rates by at least 30%.. Because of resent TRC debt loading for port projects and future port development, insight of falling gas supply. This resent increased TRC debt will have a impact on future TRC rates, and will add to the already increased NPDC and other councils rates demands. So it is fair enough for the TRC ratepayers to be informed by how much this increased spending is likely to effect their rates. Both the TRC and NPDC say because of their investments with ratepayers money, future rates could be dramatically decreased with these dividends. The NPDC CEO Roger Kerr-Newell even suggesting nil rates in the future. This is a could not a will and is yet to be seen. But in the meantime we do know rates are and will increase. Its just by how much when the NPDC and TRC's rates rises are calculated together. Because that is the true increase ratepayers will have to pay. And why have so many councils anyway, each with their own COE's Mayors etc. When we could combined them all into one body with just one Mayor and one CEO and one council representing all districts called the Taranaki Regional District Council this would save the ratepayers a huge amount in administrative council spending throughout the Taranaki district. Streamlining all councils into one body would defiantly reduce rates, this combined with the future suggested dividends nil rates is a real possibility for the whole Taranaki district.

Rusty Kane NZ