It was icy cold in Oamaru yesterday but the indignation was red hot as Waitaki District Council ratepayers rallied to protest the amount that their rates are set to rise by. The district has been in uproar for months, since the WDC announced that it would consult on 19%, 27% and 45% proposed rates rises. Many, unsurprisingly, felt that imposts of that magnitude were unsustainable — especially for ratepayers with low or fixed incomes. In tough times any rise in household expenses is unwelcome, and double-digit rates rises doubly so. Waitaki Mayor Mel Tavendale addresses Thursday's protest. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY Mounting community pressure was unable to be ignored by the WDC: having settled on a proposed 22% rates rise, at its rates setting meeting on Tuesday councillors voted for a scaled-back ‘‘essentially’’ 17% rates rise. That seemingly did little to assuage the groups which have sprung up to oppose the rates rise, going by the substantial turnout at Takaro Park yesterday to march to the WDC offices. With them they carried a petition with an estimated 5000-plus signatures which called for any rates hike to be kept at 7%. While even that more modest amount would be painful for some to pay, it did demonstrate that many of those roused to fury by the WDC rates demands recognised that the situation the 2026 council faces is the work of councils which preceded it. The pre-engagement material issued by council noted that in the past it had worked to keep rates as low and affordable as possible over previous decades. ‘‘This has been well-intentioned, but artificially keeping rates low has created a gap between what was paid and the true cost of the services, assets and infrastructure the community depend on.’’ Waitaki ratepayers certainly would have had few complaints in 2016-17, when rates rose by just 0.41%. Hikes of 1.51%, 3.84% and 2.96% in the following years were likewise not off the charts, and many welcomed the pandemic-era decision in 2020-21 to keep rates steady. However, a problem deferred is a problem denied. Deferring work, cancelling projects and lowering depreciation have come home to roost, and despite rates rises of 7.95%, 13.75% and 9.4% in recent years, the WDC felt the need to seek hikes of the eye-watering amounts it consulted on. Mel Tavendale’s honeymoon period with voters, having been elected as Waitaki mayor last year, has not been a long one. She could be excused for having felt she had inherited a poisoned chalice, having had to tell councillors this week that they did not have ‘‘wriggle room’’ on proposed rates rises and that not voting for them risked derailing the council’s water services delivery plan. Given that water provision is something vital for all, not keeping the taps running was not an option. However, rates-rise opponents have a point. Few councils will have imposed such steep inclines on their rates in such a short period of time, and the cost will cause harm for some. In such circumstances, a call to apply extreme financial discipline seems entirely reasonable. Mrs Tavendale faced the protesters at her door yesterday, which took some courage given that in recent days this debate has turned ugly: a WDC councillor has received online death threats and other councillors have faced abuse. One thing that the council and rates-rise opponents have, rightly, been able to agree on is that such behaviour is entirely reprehensible and should be condemned. While angry, protesters were measured yesterday as they told Mrs Tavendale what they thought. She, in turn, acknowledged the petitioners’ concerns, but stressed that her accepting the position did not mean that she was committed to bringing into effect what it was asking for. While Mrs Tavendale has faced down one challenge for now, another may yet emerge. Government officials have been asked to engage with the WDC to understand just how its finances had got into such a state that a rates revolt has ensued. With the government being of a mood to impose rates caps on councils, quite what they will think when they scour the WDC’s books will be illuminating, and will no doubt be of interest to councils, and ratepayers, country-wide.
