Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets to tell Waitaki District Council its planned 17% rates rise is unacceptable.
A petition with over 5000 signatures calling for a previously agreed 22% rise to be replaced by a 7% increase was handed to mayor Mel Tavendale on the steps of the Waitaki District Council building.
Mayor Mel Tavendale was presented with the petition on the steps of the council building by protest organiser Kirsty Cashmore.
The mayor, who was flanked by fellow councillors and council chief executive Alex Parmley, was handed a megaphone to speak.
She said she acknowledged “the concern behind this petition”.
"Rates increases affect households, businesses, and communities, and I understand that many people are feeling real pressure. Your voices matter, and it is important that council receives and recognises this input.
“At the same time, I want to be clear that accepting the petition today is not the same as making a commitment to a particular outcome.”
Ms Cashmore told protesters they had been “brilliant” on Thursday.
"We are not going to accept 17%.”
"This is not going away.”
Keith Marshall, a former chief executive with four councils, addressed residents gathered outside the Aquatic Centre before they headed off to the council building.
“This is an enormous turnout.”
The petition and rally had been organised in less than two weeks by people who had “never organised anything like this before”.
"It’s an absolute triumph of people power. You are absolutely amazing for coming out.”
There were chants of "two, three, six, eight, cut the rates” from protestors as they marched from Takaro Park to the council building.
Placards, empty buckets and bumper stickers were also on show at the protest.
Some even wore empty buckets on their heads to demonstrate their feelings towards the rates rise.
Among the messages on signs were: "empty buckets, empty pockets, stop the rise, before it rocks"; "17% still hurts", "Waitaki can’t afford 17%", "efficiency not extravagance" and "cut the waste, not our wallets".
