Jan Tinetti Labour MP

There's great news for any of you living in retirement villages here in Tauranga after the Rates Rebate (Retirement Village Residents) Amendment Bill was recently passed in parliament.

With a large aging population, this piece of legislation is an important one for many of our residents.

The Rates Rebate Scheme is nothing new in itself - it came about in the early 1970s under Labour Prime Minister Norman Kirk.

He believed that people who were on low incomes needed some financial relief as meeting rate payment obligations often proved difficult for many.

This new legislation goes further, to include those living in retirement villages.

There are over 360 retirement villages in New Zealand, with 34,000 Kiwis living in these villages. That number continues to grow.

Of that, a staggering 80 per cent didn't qualify for a rates rebate - that's more than 27,000 people who were missing out on the rebate, and for 50 per cent of those people, national super is their only income source.

This new piece of legislation will now allow people living in retirement villages to apply for a rates rebate, giving them a much needed boost to their finances.

Finally, on a sadder note, I would like to acknowledge the passing of a wonderful member of the Tauranga community, Barbara Rowe.

Barbara did so much for so many here in Tauranga, especially our children. Farewell and thank you Barbara - you will be missed by us all.