Hundreds protest rates rise

Waitaki’s mayor has offered no commitment to reviewing a 17% rates rise after hundreds marched in Oamaru’s main street yesterday.

Residents of the district turned out in droves at Takaro Park before marching to the steps of the council building to present a petition with more than 5000 signatures to Mayor Mel Tavendale.

After Waitaki district councillors voted to scale back a previously agreed 22% rise to 17% at a meeting earlier this week, protest organisers vowed the ‘‘peaceful’’ march would go ahead despite the backdown.

Mrs Tavendale was noncommittal about whether the protest action would result in any change, when she addressed protesters outside the council building.

‘‘I want to be clear that accepting the petition today is not the same as making a commitment to a particular outcome,’’ she said.

‘‘We cannot promise that the petition will result in a change, but we can promise that it will be received respectfully.’’

The mayor said the petition would be tabled at a council meeting next month when the annual plan was to be discussed.

Petitioners were welcome to speak at the meeting, she said.

Keith Marshall, a former chief executive with four councils, told protesters they were ‘‘not done yet’’ while protest organiser Kirsty Cashmore said the issue was ‘‘not going away’’.

Mr Marshall addressed residents who turned up outside the Aquatic Centre despite wet conditions, before they marched to the council building.

‘‘This is an enormous turnout.’’

The petition and rally was organised in less than two weeks by people who had ‘‘never organised anything like this before’’.

The petition’s 5000-plus signatures compared to about 8500 who voted in the last council election, he said.

‘‘It’s an absolute triumph of people power.’’

‘‘You are absolutely amazing for coming out.’’

The council did not ‘‘need to do this’’, Mr Marshall said.

There were chants of ‘‘two, four, six, eight, cut the rates’’ from protesters as they marched towards the council building with their placards held aloft.

Numerous signs, empty buckets and bumper stickers were on show at the protest — some people even wore buckets on their heads.

Mrs Tavendale was presented with the petition on the steps of the council building by Ms Cashmore.

The mayor, flanked by fellow councillors and council chief executive Alex Parmley, was handed a megaphone to speak but had to pause at times due to occasional heckling from some in the crowd.

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,’’ she said.

There was security on the steps of the council building and a police presence at the rally but no incidents were reported.

After councillors went back in the building, Ms Cashmore told protesters they had been ‘‘brilliant’’.

‘‘We are not going to accept 17%.

‘‘This is not going away.’’

Hampden resident Elaine Burgess told the ODT there was ‘‘no justice’’ in the rates hike and she was already having to go ‘‘without coffees or extras’’.

Oamaru resident Maggie James said ratepayers’ money had been ‘‘wasted’’ on projects in recent years.

And Palmerston residents Vanessa Barsby and Quentin McGhie said they had ‘‘had enough of being screwed’’.