Last month we reported that tenants in one block of Wellington City Council flats were taking around a petition opposing any rent increases. Since then the movement against higher rents has spread. Tenants of Central Park, Newtown Park, Rintoul Street, Granville and Hanson Street flats have joined together. On July 19 they will meet to discuss the question of rent rises with the Mayor, Mr Fowler. They have invited other City Council members to be present to hear at first hand from those involved just why the Council tenants do not agree with the Council's claim that rents are due for an increase because of "increasing maintenance and overhead costs."

This meeting with the Mayor and Councillors arose from the action at Granville Flats, which was where the idea of a petition began. On July 5 contact was made by people going around to tenants in the other flats, knocking on their doors and discussing the situation with them. A leaflet was left with tenants explaining the views of the Granville and Rintoul Street tenants and inviting anyone opposing the rent increases to meet the following day to discuss action. Twenty tenants, representing four blocks of flats, met together on July [unclear: (] They agreed that united action was [unclear: ecessary] and decided to get more [unclear: tenan] together on July 7 at Granville to plan the campaign. The result of this is the meeting with the Mayor and Councillors.