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NZ Herald 17/04/1999

Water rates swamp small firms

by Dean Austen

 

Gary Hansford says small busineses are the big losers in the Auckland City Council's desision to stick with Metrowater and user charges
for water and watewater.

The electrician's Penrose workshop ______ containing only a jug and a toilet ___is zoned commercial and attracts a water bill of more than $900.00 a year.  A return to rates based  system would have made him better off ___ even with the 28 per cent increase council officers claim this change would have brought.
"It's laughable and another kick in the bum for small businesses."

Jan Gerfstad, owner of the Hollywood Cinema in Avondale, has just received a water bill showing he used $4.39 of fresh water and expelled $5.31 of wastewater over the past 106 days , yet his bill including line charges, is $ 218.00, with the "systems charge" for water $49.90 and wastewater $159.10.

" I don't care what they say, water is still not that dear.When it was a part of the rates I was only paying about $40 per year"

Both men say the council's offer to provide up to $300 to help people earning under $7400 per year to meet wastewater charges is misdirected when those in business are struggling.
"Thats not where the problem lies ," says Mr Hansford."Who earning under $7400 anyway? Its just a load of rubbish that the councillors have come up with to cover themselves."
He wants to see a change to the billing system, where properties are being classified as ether domestic or industral ,a light industral is introduced

Councillor Jon Olsen, a Metrowater director, says the company is undertaking a total review of its water and wastewater tariffs in responce to complaints

This review will hopefully be through in next four weeks, when there will be oppertunities for public comment.

He says that if small businesses properly compare what they paid under the old system with what they are  paying now many would find they were better off.

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