10th November 2014
Kaipatiki Residents Get Short Changed … Again
Lorene Pigg, John Gillon, Dr Grant Gillon - Elected Members of the Kaipatiki Local Board
• Kaipatiki to pay second-largest proposed rates rise
• North Shore residents will pay for, but not benefit from, motorway tolls
• Kaipatiki becoming less affordable place to live - charged more but getting less
This has been an expensive week to live in the North Shore! Kaipatiki Local Board members Lorene Pigg, John Gillon, and
Dr. Grant Gillon are deeply concerned around the affordability of the crippling rates increase combined with the
proposed motorway tolls.
Kaipatiki will pay the second-largest proposed rates rise in Auckland (an average of over 9%) under the proposed
Auckland Council Plan. Crippling rates increases combined with proposed motor way tolls will cost households thousands
of dollars extra each year. Residents will be burdened with significant cost increases whilst simultaneously enduring
significant cuts to capital expenditure and service reductions, making it unaffordable and less desirable to live in the
North Shore.
No benefits for North Shore Residents from proposed tolls
The Team of Independents are against the proposed introduction of motorway tolls.
"North Shore residents will bear the brunt of this proposal as we don't have any non-motorway routes to the rest of
Auckland," said John Gillon, Kaipatiki Local Board Member. "Punishing North Shore residents trying to get to work
without a cheap/free and frequent public transport system already in place is ludicrous.
John further noted that "North Shore transport projects will not benefit from the new toll as they are well down
Auckland Transport’s priority list. It appears that North Shore residents, faced with no alternative but to use the
motorways and Harbour Bridge, are to be used as cash-cows for transport projects elsewhere in the city.”
"I do not believe that North Shore residents will get benefits from reduced congestion in and around the motorways as a
result of any tolls," stated Lorene Pigg, Kaipatiki Local Board Member. "As North Shore residents don’t have the luxury
of free alternative routes into the City, combined with significant proposed intensification in both Takapuna and
Northcote as a result of the Auckland Unitary Plan, Onewa Road, Lake Road and Esmond Road will continue to be the
carparks that they are today during rush hour".
Dr. Grant Gillon noted that residents have already paid, in full, for motorways and existing roadways, and questioned
why the Council is pushing this, given the lack of Government support for tolls on existing roads.
Affordable housing continues to become less affordable
The Team of Independents is concerned about the affordability for residents. Whilst road tolls are being sold as an
"average of $346 per year", for the large numbers of residents that work in Auckland City, their households will need to
find an additional $1000+ in their budgets each year to cover the cost of the tolls. Further costs will be passed on to
residents from local businesses such as plumbers, couriers, electricians.
"With a median income of $29,300 in Kaipatiki (Statistics New Zealand 2013 Census), these proposed increases will force
residents into debt and are in complete contrast to the Council’s aim of encouraging affordable housing", said Dr. Grant
Gillon, Kaipatiki Local Board Member.
Rates Rises
Last week Council endorsed an average rates rise of 3.5% for Auckland households. While Mayor Len Brown refers to this
as a "balanced rate policy", in Kaipatiki with an average increase of 9.3%, the Team of Independents is wanting to
assure the Mayor that this isn’t very balanced at all!
Lorene Pigg noted that "We were sold the Super City on the basis that residents would be getting more for less, however
the opposite seems to be occurring. Kaipatiki is being charged more and getting less, and is being short changed yet
again".
The Team of Independents has been contacted by hundreds of residents concerned at both rates hikes and motorway tolls,
and is actively encouraging all residents to continue to let Auckland Council know their thoughts on these proposals.
ENDS