Post by Brent George on Jun 16, 2023 1:12:08 GMT
Farmer wasting thousands of litres of water in protest at Council charges
(and other interesting battles...)
Stuff - National: 16-June-2023
Rangiora farmer Rodney Beck has started pouring an estimated 10,000 litres of drinking water a day down the drain in a protest against Waimakariri District Council water charges.
Some years ago Beck, 78, and his wife subdivided their 20ha deer farm into five sections, each with water, power and phone connections, but the land has remained undeveloped, The Press reported on Friday.
Despite that, the council is charging water rates of $270 per section per year, even though no-one is using the water. In protest, Beck turned on each water supply last week.
Like many other councils around Aotearoa, the Waimakariri council is learning that disgruntled Kiwi ratepayers are not to be trifled with, and aren’t afraid to take matters into their own hands when aggrieved.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of New Zealand’s most bitter council disputes [read the article for details].
- Council vs the ‘the guilty bastard’
- Council vs an entire neighbourhood
- Council vs rubbish-toting resident
- Council vs West Coast landowners
- Council vs pothole vigilante
- Council vs councillor
- Council vs ark builder
- Council vs spraypainter
- Council vs enormous tree
(and other interesting battles...)
Stuff - National: 16-June-2023
Rangiora farmer Rodney Beck has started pouring an estimated 10,000 litres of drinking water a day down the drain in a protest against Waimakariri District Council water charges.
Some years ago Beck, 78, and his wife subdivided their 20ha deer farm into five sections, each with water, power and phone connections, but the land has remained undeveloped, The Press reported on Friday.
Despite that, the council is charging water rates of $270 per section per year, even though no-one is using the water. In protest, Beck turned on each water supply last week.
Like many other councils around Aotearoa, the Waimakariri council is learning that disgruntled Kiwi ratepayers are not to be trifled with, and aren’t afraid to take matters into their own hands when aggrieved.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of New Zealand’s most bitter council disputes [read the article for details].
- Council vs the ‘the guilty bastard’
- Council vs an entire neighbourhood
- Council vs rubbish-toting resident
- Council vs West Coast landowners
- Council vs pothole vigilante
- Council vs councillor
- Council vs ark builder
- Council vs spraypainter
- Council vs enormous tree