Councillors yesterday revoked the 22% following a move by Mayor Mel Tavendale.
Elected representatives approved a trimmed rate factoring in a $1 million dividend from Whitestone Contracting, ‘‘expected’’ improvements in local and global economic conditions — including an assumption of lasting peace in the Middle East — and a further $500,000 of reductions to be identified.
Officers have now been instructed to prepare a revised annual plan, which was due to be adopted next week, at an undetermined date before July 10.
Amid confusion, Mrs Tavendale moved to clarify the resolutions passed by councillors before they broke for lunch would reduce the rates burden by about 5%, after a council press release was issued mentioning 17%.
‘‘We’ve sent out a press release with what that means. That does mean essentially around 17%.’’
A protest rally is planned for tomorrow at which a petition calling for the 22% to be replaced by a 7% increase will be presented.
The rally will begin at Takaro Park in Severn St at 11.30am.
Keith Marshall, a former chief executive at four councils, said during yesterday’s public forum the petition circulating across the district had garnered ‘‘well over 2000 signatures, gathered in under eight days’’.
‘‘Point me to another example of a community raising that many signatures in that amount of time.’’
A high rates increase was not affordable, he said.
‘‘It will, with absolute certainty, cause harm in your community and quite unnecessarily.’’
The councillors had ‘‘clearly’’ lost the confidence and trust of the community, he said.
‘‘You seem to be making things up as you go along just to support poor decisions.’’
He argued councillors should vote to amend the motion to the 7% originally proposed in the long-term plan, a figure which had been audited previously and was ‘‘realistic’’, but would require ‘‘extreme financial discipline’’.
Elected representatives questioned whether 7% was fiscally responsible and cited several changes in circumstances since the long-term plan was approved.
Mrs Tavendale said there was a ‘‘huge amount at play’’, councillors did not have ‘‘wriggle room’’ and they could not risk derailing the water services delivery plan.
She acknowledged the ‘‘hurt’’ and huge amount of community pressure, some of which was ‘‘fair’’ and some ‘‘really detrimental’’.
She mentioned a ‘‘toxic online environment’’ which was ‘‘doing us all damage’’.
‘‘We as a community are eating ourselves alive and we are better than that.’’
‘‘I deserve [to be able to] walk home to my family and feel safe.’’
‘‘This has not been OK.’’
Mrs Tavendale confirmed she would be on the steps of the council building to receive the petition and asked for ‘‘basic respect’’.
She acknowledged the people protesting in the district as part of the empty buckets campaign and said they were being listened to.
Protesters had made ‘‘a lot of amazing points’’.
Cr Hana Fanene-Taiti also acknowledged the community action taking place.
‘‘It’s important the community do have a voice.’’
The decision weighed ‘‘very, very heavily’’ on councillors, she said.
‘‘There is genuine distress which is being caused in our community.’’
She raised concerns about the impact on the vulnerable in the community, those living week to week, those going without lunch and the elderly on fixed incomes.
Cr Jim Hopkins said councillors had a duty of care to respond with ‘‘compassion’’ to the numerous, ‘‘sincere’’ reports of anticipated hardship.
Some councillors said they had lost sleep over the decisions on rates rises.
Crs Sven Thelning and Frans Schlack voted against revoking the 22%, which was agreed at a meeting last month.
The Waitaki District Council consulted on 19%, 27% and 45% proposed rates rises during a two-week consultation before settling on the 22% and now about 17%.
