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A number of community and sports groups are set to lose long-running discounts on their rates bills due to Auckland Council ending a relief grants scheme that was carried over from the days of Rodney District Council.
One of the biggest losers will be North Shore Aero Club, which had more than $30,000 of its $70,291 rates bill paid – 43 percent – in the 2020/21 financial year.
Council’s lead financial advisor Mark Purdie told last month’s Rodney Local Board meeting that all affected groups had been advised in 2018 that the grants scheme would be ending in three years’ time, and the cut-off date would be June 30.
Around $93,000 was paid to 31 organisations across Rodney in 2020/21, each of which received between five and 100 per cent off their rates, money which Mr Purdie said could be reallocated to other local board projects if members voted to let the grants end.
Members agreed that funding rates for private property or commercial activities was not a good use of ratepayer money, and that members in each subdivision should decide which groups should continue to receive rates grants. Additionally, any money saved from discontinuing rates grants would be re-allocated to that same subdivision – more than $41,000 in Dairy Flat, based on last year’s rates bills.
Dairy Flat board member Louise Johnston said such rates rebates were never supposed to be for commercial organisations.
“They’ve all had a good run and they’re all well-funded,” she said. “I can’t see the community thinking this is a good way to spend our money.
“And it’s pretty good that the money will stay within the subdivision – there’s so much unfairness across Rodney with funding.”
North Shore Aero Club general manager John Punshon was philosophical about the loss.
“You win some, you lose some,” he said. “These things are sent to try us. We’ll just have to wait and see if there will be any alternative methods in future, but we’ll deal with what’s thrown at us.”
The Dairy Flat groups losing rates grants will be the Peninsula Golf Club, Wainui (24 percent), North Shore Riding Club, Redvale (37 percent) and North Shore Aero Club, Dairy Flat (43 percent).
