Ratepayers to fork out lots for super-city

Written By: - Date published: 5:17 pm, May 15th, 2009 - 2 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, democracy under attack, local government - Tags:

democracy-under-attack1In the absence of any numbers about transition costs from Rodney or NACT on the super-city, Phil Twyford over at Red Alert has gotten  Dr Rhema Vaithianathan to crunch the available numbers.

Ratepayers are going to get whacked with a bill for  up to $750 just for the transition costs, and that’s 30% higher than for the Royal Commission’s plan. Note well ratepayers in Manukau, Waitakere and North Shore: this will come on top of increases in water rates of $700 for the average family.

So as well as having to cop a flawed, undemocratic super city model without consultation, the poor old ratepayer is going to have to pick up the tab.  Rodney Hide, a.k.a. the Little Emperor, said in the House that the transition costs would be miniscule compared to the savings he predicts will arise from the super city. Well Rodney, on your ministerial salary a hit of $750 might be miniscule but its not for most ratepayers.

Of course these are not the ‘official’ numbers, but these are the only ones that have been crunched on Rodney’s proposal. So they will have to stand as being the numbers for debate as being the minimum average rates increase somewhen in the next year.

If Rodney wants to dispute these values, then I’d suggest he gets off his lazy acre and produces some numbers – with the workings so we can see what we’re up for. This would help the consultation that he is so keenly avoiding with Aucklanders.

In the meantime I believe that the long filibuster is due to go to another day. Keep up the good work.

2 comments on “Ratepayers to fork out lots for super-city ”

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  1. Ron 1
    15 May 2009 at 5:48 pm

    I suspect RH will keep schtum about any of the burdens he’s about to place on rate payers. This is after all against everything he’s he stands for – or at least says he stands for.
    – undemocratic process – where’s you referendum now Rod?
    – increased local government spending
    – tax payers/rate payers having to pay for something they don’t want – about as far from user pays as you can get, I’d say.

    With the Giant Awk and Christine Rankin’s appointment we have both the Maori Party and ACT selling their principles for the baubles of power. It’s a shame, really.

  2. schrodigerscat 2
    16 May 2009 at 12:20 pm

    If you have freeview watch democracy in action on parliament TV. I think labour are looking quite good today.

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