Brian Anderson The Western Front www.sunlive.co.nz

The average increase in rates is 9.5%. My rates are up 12%, I have had calls from others in Katikati reporting rate increases of up to 22%. Despite claims of looking after the rural owners, Council has also increased their rates.

One Kauri Point rural owner was planning to purchase a small property in Katikati to retire. When he discovered his town rates would be over $3000, he decided not to move. He wouldn't be able to afford to live in town. The 37% of Katikati population who are on superannuation totally agree with him. Who can we complain to? Who do we challenge?

It seems the Mayor would be useless. He is probably still claiming a 1% rise in real rates this year. Does he understand the meaning of real? The community boards are closer to us and understand what is happening but have been strangely silent. Maybe they believed the Mayor. The Community Partnership subcommittee has had three meetings this year. A quick check of the minutes suggests rates are out of their league. We now have a new three ward system but there appears to be no intention to have a ward function with any responsibility for communication between the Council and the public. It appears to be just another bureaucratic barrier between them and us and probably, an expanded budget.

Some of you still believe we should go to our local councillor. The only councillor who voted against the rate increase was Cr Mayo and he is now off every committee. Other councillors, when asked, either repeated the Mayor's official line or stated that it was not their position to have an opinion. This is correct. They are told when they are elected they have to work for the whole district, and not be outspoken on behalf of their constituents. Your only actual power over them is at election time.

It seems we could sack the whole lot and nothing would stop the rates steamroller. The general rate part of the rates calculation has been increased 45%; the Interest Recovery Rate needed to cover failed payments on loans turns out to be massive for some people. The council was $2m short on interest payments last year but they are currently celebrating a $15m windfall this week. They won't be paying off their debt. We have to. They will be using the money elsewhere. It's like winning Lotto and refusing to pay off your mortgage. Are they for real?

What to do about it. You have one month after the Council's new representation plan is announced to submit a complaint to the local Government Commission and give your opinion of the Council's structure and performance. Council announced its decision and new structure two weeks ago but insists it is not official yet because there are apparently one or two details to work out. Translated, they have made a decision, they don't know what it means and they don't know how it is going to work. They have found the answer to the riddle of their universe and true to form, have forgotten what the question was.

Some of us want to challenge the Council decisions through Local Government but so far even this process is being held up by Council. The only answers we get from Council at the moment seem to have been borrowed from Corporal Klink of Hogan's Heroes one liner. He was on the side that lost the war.