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Roscoe makes a return Most people with a free-range bird get used to it wandering from time to time, but Waiuku’s Laura Swann is getting used to driving all over Auckland to recover her pet Rainbow Lorikeet Roscoe. The bird enjoys the odd flight away from its home property, but due to its friendly nature is often collected by well-meaning individuals who take it to a bird shelter, or a vet. Now Laura is looking at options to list a contact address on Roscoe’s leg, after she had to travel to the North Shore last week to collect the muchtravelled pet. On Friday night, an unruffled Roscoe was taking it all in his stride.
Road resolution? It looks as though residents are making progress on making a stretch of Waiuku Road a lot safer.
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Vol 25, No. 28
Rates shock for Franklin
Steel Mill rates up by $230,000, average Franklin business rates up 9.2%.
Lily’s day with the Navy
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Baby memories In honour of the Royal baby, Words and Stuff takes a slightly irreverent view of childbirth,...
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Five in a row Waiuku Soccer make it five wins in a row in the highly competitive Northern League competition.
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Bombay School student Lily Webber (above right, with her friend Samantha), has had the experience of a lifetime after she won a day with the Royal New Zealand Navy in a poster competition. Lily’s poster was chosen from around 400 entries. During her day Lily fought fires, dined onboard an ANZAC Class Frigate, drove a ship simulator, encountered Auckland’s inner harbour in a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat and topped it off with a flight over Auckland in one of the Navy’s Seasprite helicopters.
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Council’s much-vaunted 2.9% average rates increase among the Auckland region will not receive much play from local ratepayers, with business rates for the Franklin region set at an average 9.2% increase. Residential rates are set to rise in Franklin at an average of 2.7%, as council continues to work to a policy of having similar value properties across Auckland paying similar rates. The Post compared rates of six properties, in Waiuku, Pukekohe, Remuera, Howick and Wattle Downs, all valued between $530,000 and $600,000, and found rates were roughly equivalent. However, those Auckland properties receive rubbish collections and regular public transport, something which makes a mockery of equal service for rates. Franklin residents paying for kerbside rubbish stickers will spend close to $150 more than their Auckland counterparts on that service alone. Business rates however, are what will have a further knock-on effect for local consumers, as businesses increase costs to offset additional charges. Businesses looking to develop and establish in Pukekohe and Waiuku may consider Papakura as a better option, which this year will have an average 5% drop in business rates. Out of 21 local board areas, only Great Barrier has a higher business rates increase than Franklin for the 2013/2014 year. The Post compared business rates for a number of local businesses and found a number which were facing rises of around $1000 this year, how-
ever the biggest increase was for the New Zealand Steel site at Mission Bush Road in Glenbrook. Council’s rates calculator figures showed the rates for the site will rise this year from around $692,000 to over $922,000, a whopping rise of about 33%. A Steel Mill spokesperson acknowledged the rise, and said it was something they were discussing with Council. Auckland ratepayers will receive their rates notice for the 2013/2014 rating year from August 1, the second year of Auckland’s three-year move to a single rating system. Council says, over time, all Auckland properties of similar value and use will be charged a similar amount of rates, so ratepayers will be charged on a consistent basis regardless of where they live and work in the region. The council last month approved its 2013/2014 annual plan, which, it announced, includes an average 2.9 per cent rates increase across Auckland businesses and households, well below the 4.8 per cent forecast in the council’s Long-term Plan. For the year ahead, it says it has identified efficiency savings that have reduced the cost of council operations by $145 million. Council said last week the threeyear transition process helps manage the rates changes, with the maximum that rates can rise for residential and farm/lifestyle properties capped at 10 per cent and the lowest they can drop at 2.5 per cent. Business ratepayers will continue to move from their 2011/2012 rates to their new rates in near-equal steps over the three-year period.
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