UPDATED 7.31pm Anti-corruption campaigner Penny Bright has lost her case against Auckland Council over unpaid rates.
LISTEN ABOVE: Penny Bright spoke to Larry Williams
The High Court in Auckland has dismissed her appeal against a decision at the Auckland District Court in February which required her to pay her rates.
The summary judgment obtained was for outstanding rates and penalties of $34,182.56, from 2007 to June 2015.
The court has also awarded the council costs.
Justice Geoffrey Venning said Ms Bright, like other ratepayers, had an obligation to pay her rates and her refusal to do so simply increases the administrative costs to the council.
Bright has confirmed to Newstalk ZB she will appeal the case in the Court of Appeal and may even take the case to the Supreme Court.
She said she will not end her nine-year one-person rates revolt until the council meets her demand for transparency.
Specifically, she wants “a unique contractor number, the name of the consultant or contractor, a brief description of the scope of the contract, start finish date and exact dollar value” for every council contract.
After almost a decade of refusing to pay her rights, Bright is confident the law is on her side.
She said she will not be paying her rates or leaving her house, and is willing to accept inconveniences like having to source water from an outside hose attached to a water meter.
“There is a hose, which is connected to the water meter, which has been inspected by Watercare which is quite happy with the arrangement.
“If you have any issues with that, you go to Watercare.”
Bright said she still intends to stand for mayor and believes her legal case makes her more qualified than other candidates.
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