The Roskill Community Voice team on the Puketapapa Local Board is working hard to ensure that our community receives a fair share, but right now we need your help.
The draft Auckland Council Long Term Plan (LTP) sets rates and investment for the next ten years, and the news isn’t good for our community:
- Puketapapa is once again hit by some of the biggest residential rates increases in the region as a result of property revaluations and a reduction in the percentage of rates paid by businesses. Over 6000 households face rates increases of over ten percent, and many will be over twenty percent higher..
- Despite that, important local projects in our community have been cut or delayed. The Manukau Foreshore Boardwalk which was previously funded has been cut completely, while we face uncertainty around the much needed Dominion Rd upgrade.
Under the LTP, Puketapapa, which has 4% of the region’s population, receives less than 1% of the funding allocated to local projects, making us one of the areas receiving the least Council investment, despite having some of the largest rates increases!
What you can do
The LTP is out for submissions at the moment, but you only have until Monday 16 March to speak up.
We are asking that you take 1-2 minutes to urgently make a submission to the LTP to try and win a fairer share for Puketapapa. There are several easy options:
1) Fill out the official submission feedback form here. Answer as many of the questions as you wish, identify your Board area as Puketapapa at question 6b, and in question 7 copy and paste the key submission points below if you wish.
2) If you give feedback on Facebook and Twitter using the correct tags this will count as a formal submission.
- For Facebook copy and paste the key submission points below and post at facebook.com/aklcouncil and use the hastag #LTP2015
- For Twitter copy and paste the key submission points into several separate tweets and tweet to @aklcouncil #LTP2015
3) Print out the attached form submission, and add your contact details. Drop it into the Puketapapa Local Board office at the Fickling Centre or scan and send to longtermplan@
Key Submission Points
You are welcome to submit on whatever your heart desires but we strongly recommend you include the following points (either verbatim or in your own words) to help us win a fair share for Puketapapa:
1) It is unfair that over 6000 households in Puketapapa face rates increases of over ten percent. Auckland Council should work with central government to re-introduce a rates remission scheme to cap rates increases at a maximum of ten percent, to share the load more fairly.
2) Re-instate funding that has been cut for the Manukau Foreshore walkway project from Onehunga to Hillsborough. Our community has some of the lowest levels of investment in the region and this important link has significant regional benefits.
3) Commit to the overdue Dominion Rd upgrade so that we can improve the dilapidated Mt Roskill town centre
A large number of submissions could help make a difference for our community so please take a moment to speak up for a Fair Share for Puketapapa/Mt Roskill. If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to contact us. Please also feel free to share this far and wide across your local networks.
Your Roskill Community Voice team:
Michael Wood
Harry Doig
Julie Fairey
David Holm
PS The best way to keep up to date with us is on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/roskillcv We update it most days
We demand a FAIR share of expenditure in the Puketapapa Area. We support the vigorous representation of Chris Fletcher and Dr Cathy Casey in demanding justice for Mt Roskill. Need we itemiser the sheer waste of money spent tin Meadowbank where whole rows of curb stones are ripped oust and replaced when a cup or two of new mortar would fill gaps in the curbing. Why should Mt Roskill subsidise needless, pointless sword and the waste of money elsewhere or anywhere. The increase in rates is diabolical and morally and ethically unjustifiable. When will overpaid councillors examine expenditure in detail, curb rampant bureaucrats taking decisions for elected councillors and give definitive leadership toe Auckland? A fair deal, an honourable deal, a NEW DEAL is required NOW. Peter McConnell