Submissions have closed on a parliamentary bill to validate rates struck unlawfully by the Kaipara District Council.
The debt-ridden council has been run by commissioners for the last 10 months after a rates revolt erupted over its borrowings for the Mangawhai sewerage scheme.
Mangawhai Ratepayers president Bruce Rogan says ratepayer organisations and Greypower are among the many groups who've submitted against the validating bill.
He says the bill seeks to make ratepayers liable in retrospect for bank loans to councils that ratepayers were never told about.
Mr Rogan says the banks should have to write off the loans as bad debts because they lent $60 million to the council without checking its securities and without a consultation process.
Submissions closed on 25 July.
