to be held in Nelson, New Zealand on 10/11 November 2018
Invitation. ( see .pdf form attached at the bottom of this page )
There is now a growing level of interest in the establishment of a National Ratepayer organisation with a charter and a mandate to represent the interests of the ratepaying community at every decision-making level. By ratepaying community we mean those who own houses and pay rates, and those who live in houses and pay rent that includes rates. We do not mean property developers, real estate firms, lawyers, money lenders, politicians or anyone else whose primary line of business is to exploit the ratepaying community.
There is, today, NO co-ordinated ratepayer voice in Aotearoa. There is a taxpayers union that has come into existence to hold the taxers to account. They have begun to raise a voice against the excesses of some councils, having realised that taxes such as GST and income tax are only a part of the story, and for many, especially the elderly, a small and diminishing part of the story. So here’s the deal:
A conference will be held in Nelson on 10/11 November 2018. You and everyone you know is invited to participate. You need a break and there is no better place than Nelson to have one.
A draft agenda is appended at the end. It will change considerably before the date. The purpose of this conference is to establish a national ratepayer organisation which will represent the interests of ratepayers in negotiations with central government and the various statutory and other bodies that make decisions that affect ratepayers. At present there are at least three bodies that make decisions that affect ratepayers and they do this without any input from ratepayers themselves. Proposals are afoot to enable councils to raise additional revenues by way of new fees and taxes, and ratepayers are having no say in these discussions at all. There is an urgent need to counterbalance the pressure from vested interests and the bureaucracy, who are always looking for new ways to lay hands on and spend your money.
Every ratepayer group in the country is encouraged to participate, and it would be excellent if groups that have a good working relationship with their local council were to participate, as well as those who are having difficulties.. The objective is to form a body that takes a rational balanced view but which ensures that the voice of this country’s ratepayers is heard and heeded by decision makers and policy makers at all levels.
The meeting will be over two days. There will be some guest speakers, and there will be breakout sessions where groups with particular interests or expertise will be encouraged to bring recommendations to the conference.
Anyone who would like to be involved or who would like to make suggestions about content, format, goals, is most welcome to do so.
If you are interested please reply in the first instance to brucerogan2017@gmail.com. A specific email address and website will be established in the near future, and you will be advised of that. A very favourable rate has been negotiated with Ocean Lodge, and if you contact them they will find you accommodation at that same rate even if all their rooms are taken.
Please tell as many people as you can about this initiative. The National Ratepayer Body needs to have enough members to make central government listen and take heed. Nelson has been chosen because it is central, it is a wonderful place to visit, and its ratepayers’ association are very enthusiastic about hosting the event
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