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On a more +ve note

Posted by Trevor Mallard on March 16th, 2011

Emirates Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand launched their new boat today. It will be used until 2013 when they will shift to a larger cat for the America’s Cup.

A number of these are being built in Auckland for various syndicates and it looks like most teams are going to use Auckland as their (northern) winter training base. Hopefully there will be some racing here too. At an average (conservative) of 100 per team, and then the bigger spenders at peak times it will be a great little boost to NZ.

Team NZ have announced that Emirates is to continue their commercial partnership.

I got a bit of flack when I announced (twice) government support but the subsequent reports showed the direct (paye and GST) return to the crown was the equivalent of that support – and of course there was tons of leverage which meant they were very good economic decisions. Anyone see that superyacht a couple of weeks ago?

Hope I’m still allowed to go sailing. Was a great thrill to spend some time at the top (100ft?) of one of the old boat’s masts.

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Filed under: Auckland, economic
10 Comments

Fiasco

Posted by Phil Twyford on February 17th, 2011

Fiasco

Maori representation on the Auckland Council has all the elements of a fiasco:  it started out as an ambitious undertaking but has ended in ludicrous and humiliating failure.

Aucklanders have been saddled with an unelected Maori board that has the power to appoint members to Council committees with full voting rights, after the Government rejected a perfectly good option of Maori councillors democratically elected off the Maori roll.  And the poor old Auckland ratepayer is going to be stung with $1.9 million a year, or more, to pay for this, depending on what the High Court decides.

So who is responsible? Not Local Government Minister Rodney Hide who says he opposed the provision but had it forced on him by the National and Maori Parties.  In Question Time yesterday the Prime Minister denied Hide had breached rules on cabinet responsibility because Hide had been speaking in his role as leader of ACT.  Ironically the PM criticised Pita Sharples who called on Hide to resign if he could not accept the Maori board, saying he should not have made those comments under his ministerial letterhead.

So who is responsible if the responsible Minister is not responsible?

The affair is another blow to Hide’s chances of surviving the election. First there was his spectacular fall from grace as the perkbuster and then his role in concealing his law and order spokesperson’s identity theft. Now the self-styled Minister of Ratepayers and one time champion of ‘one law for all’ has presided over a shonky and undemocratic Maori board at some cost to the Auckland ratepayer.

He is desperate to present the Auckland amalgamation as a success in election year but this has well and truly knocked the gloss off it.

It is also a failure of leadership by John Key. First he buckled to Hide’s threat to resign. Then to make good with the Maori Party he inserts a dodgy compromise option into the law without making any public statement.  The responsible Minister (Hide) openly slags the law he himself introduced to Parliament. Another Minister (Sharples) calls on the responsible Minister to resign over it. Key sees no problem with it all. The Auckland ratepayer is left to pick up the tab.

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Filed under: Auckland, M?ori, democracy, local government
11 Comments

Checking for signs of the apocalypse

Posted by Phil Twyford on January 22nd, 2011

up-side-down-flying-bird-8629-1242829648-8

I have just been outside to check for any signs of weirdness that might indicate the apocalypse is on us. No sign of birds flying upside down. Water still seems to be flowing down hill. Which makes this morning’s Herald editorial even more of a shock.  It is scary. I agree with every word of it.

The Herald says the Government has  breached a fundamental principle of democracy in allowing non-elected advisers to vote on Auckland Council committees. Exactly.

But wait there is more.  The editorial rightly points out it is the Government’s problem to fix.  Rodney Hide, the great advocate for one person-one vote, brought this legislation to the House. Labour and the Greens voted against it.  The Herald’s solution: Two dedicated Maori seats elected by Auckland residents on the rolls of the Maori parliamentary electorates covering the Super City.  Couldn’t agree more.

Hat tip to The Aucklander who broke the story.

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Filed under: Auckland, democracy, local government
15 Comments

Limiting big money in local govt

Posted by Phil Twyford on December 11th, 2010

Campaign donation returns for the Auckland mayoral race were filed yesterday and Auckland Mayor Len Brown is taking a bit of heat here and here for channeling $499,000 in campaign donations through a trust. His unsuccessful opponent John Banks accepted $520,086 in anonymous donations.

I think there should be openness about donations to political campaigns. Local government electoral law needs to be changed so donations are transparent, there are sensible spending limits, and limits on third party campaigns.

The parties have argued over these issues in recent years in relation to central government but I don’t think anyone has worried too much about tightening up the rules for local government. With the creation of the Auckland Council the power and resources at stake make it essential there are rules to limit the influence of big money.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide says he doesn’t want to see any transparency requirements.

To be fair to John Banks and Len Brown, they have both operated within the law. The National Party has a history of using secret trusts. It was pretty obvious John Banks would rely on big anonymous donors. Len Brown would have been tying one hand behind his own back if he hadn’t been willing to accept anonymous donations too. The rules need to be changed so there is a level playing field.

National should have included transparency for campaign donations when it passed the Auckland super city legislation, as well as a lower spending cap, and limits on third parties. Now would be a good time to review the Local Electoral Act to get this sorted out.

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Filed under: Auckland, democracy, local government
31 Comments

CBD Rail Loop – an overwhelming case

Posted by David Shearer on November 25th, 2010

It’s finally out. The business case for the Auckland’s CBD rail loop. And what a compelling case.

The pure transport cost-benefit is 1.1 (at the standard Treasury 8% discount rate). But the wider economic cost-benefit take it up to a whopping 3.5.

As it says, “the benefits of the CBD Rail Link far exeed the travel time savings due to enhanced transport efficiency”. It “increases CBD employment by 20,000 to 25,000 without requiring additional road capacity or using scarce CBD land for additional parking. This enables the Auckland CBD to become a much more vibrant and exciting pedestrian environment … .”

The overall impact will be a “more exciting and vibarnt sense of place enable Auckland to serve as New Zealand’s outward facing global city for retaining and attracting the highly educated younger workforce that will underpin productivity growth (and also international competitiveness) in the future”.

Now compare the figures with Joyce’s Holiday Highway. It has a transport cost-benefit of 0.8 – less than a dollar back for every dollar spent.

And the wider benefits? Just 1.1. Pathetic versus 3.5 for the CBD loop. We certainly need to upgrade SH 1, it’s just that we don’t need to do it with a brand new motorway.

How can Joyce justify spending up to $2 billion on that road when this case is so compelling.

Our rear-vision minister will need to be creative with his figures to justify his spending.

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Filed under: Auckland, transport
25 Comments

It wasn’t meant to end this way

Posted by Phil Twyford on November 2nd, 2010

John Key and Rodney Hide were like awkward guests at someone else’s party at last night’s inauguration of Mayor Len Brown and the new Auckland Council.  The Town Hall was packed with Len’s mob who had come to hear the ‘it’s our time’ message so it is not surprising Key and Hide were given only a polite reception.  Key delivered a wooden written-by-officials speech suprisingly lacking in heart for such a big occasion.

It wasn’t meant to end this way. John Key had all but endorsed John Banks for mayor. The Nats set out to remake Auckland in their own image.  But Len Brown’s campaign was driven along by deep public unease with Hide’s over-centralised and corporatised super city. In the end Aucklanders gave a thumping mandate to Brown’s inclusive vision, his pledge to protect communities and save our assets, and his promise to build a modern rail network.

This puts Key in an interesting spot. Any public goodwill for having unified Auckland was long ago corroded away by Hide’s handling of the process. The Nats must be furious with Hide for having stuffed their Auckland agenda and lost the mayoralty for Banks. That alone must be reason enough for pulling the plug on Epsom.

Aucklanders’ expectations however have now been raised.  The mayoral election made one thing clear.  If the super city is to mean one thing it has to mean action on public transport. Len Brown has staked his political career on this. He has invoked the memory of Robbie’s Rapid Rail. But he cannot deliver the level of investment needed on his own. Only central government can do it.

The Mayor dropped several references to rail into his inaugural speech. John Key didn’t take up the challenge, and noted that on some things ‘we will disagree’. National-ACT don’t get it. Auckland cannot go on building motorways, and now must invest in rail the equivalent treasure it has sunk into motorways over the past few decades. Steven Joyce is wedded to his Holiday Highway but won’t commit to the central city rail loop.

So what is Key to do:  Embrace a left-leaning mayor and council who ran against his plan for Auckland? Wean his party off its historic dependence  on the roads lobby by cranking up a big investment in rail?  If he doesn’t, and National are seen to be white-anting the popular mandate of the new Mayor for all of Auckland, I predict Aucklanders will make National pay at the polls next year.

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Filed under: Auckland, Rail, Uncategorized, local government, transport
20 Comments

Shot over the bows in Northcote

Posted by Darien Fenton on October 11th, 2010

National MP Jonathan Coleman, along with other Tories around the rohe will be feeling a little concerned at the left leaning results delivered by Aucklanders at the weekend.

Northcote’s Kaipatiki Board has also swung to the left. Three Labour Party members (Grant Gillon, Ann Hartley and Richard Hills) were elected onto the new local board, and of the remaining five, two were former members of the Progress/Alliance party, two are unaffiliated, and the remaining member is Nick Kearny from the ACT Party, who I suggest will find his position a little lonely.

While Coleman has a comfortable majority in Northcote, it was a Labour seat until 2005, These results suggest that he could have a bit of a fight on his hands with Labour’s candidate Paula Gillon, come next year’s election.

Other the

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Filed under: Auckland
17 Comments

Its a Lendslide

Posted by Grant Robertson on October 9th, 2010

Awesone news from Auckland that Len Brown has won, and won convincingly in the mayoralty. There is the makings of left leaning majority on the Council as well, which is terrific. I sat at the same table as Len at the Music Awards on Thursday night and I was struck by his ability to relate to all kinds of people, and the strong support he has. The first term of the Auckland Council will be a hellish job- but they have the best of the candidates to lead them through it.

Meanwhile, in Wellington we wait. Elsewhere, sad to see Jim Anderton not get over the line in Christchurch. Some good results coming through, including Ray Wallace winning in Lower Hutt (over David Ogden), Harry Duynhoven winning in New Plymouth, and various Labour folk winning in Council seats around the country. I want to make special mention of Hamish McDouall, my friend and Labour candidate in Whanganui. He has been elected to the Council up there with one of the highest votes, and he beat Michael Laws. Well done that man!

Filed under: Auckland, local government
25 Comments

Plea for help to the Police Minister

Posted by Raymond Huo on October 8th, 2010

I was compelled to send a letter to Police Minister Judith Collins after being contacted by a Chinese constituent who lives in Glen Innes, Auckland, yesterday.

As a Chinese-New Zealander, this man may not look or sound like a Kiwi (according to former National Party Candidate Paul Henry’s summation) but his concerns are genuine and need to be addressed.

The constituent told me of his frustration with the police after having his home broken into eight times over the past three months.

The aftermath of a recent break-in

The aftermath of a recent break-in

During September his home was broken into twice in one week with the last break-in on October 1.

The constituent and his family are not only frustrated with the constant break-ins, but also by the response of the police.

On each occasion, the police have taken three and four days to respond and after taking fingerprints and doing a scene examination, no follow up has occurred.

The constituent is unemployed and every break-in adds to the financial pressure on the family. The man tells me that his family are living in a constant state of fear and anxiety.

The family has not only lost property through the burglaries but the house has suffered damage with broken windows, kicked in walls and graffiti occurring through the house.

As a New Zealander and Member of Parliament, I’m horrified that this situation is happening in our country. No one should have to live in a state of fear like this man and his family.

I seek a practical response from the Police Minister as to how she intends to deal with this situation.

It’s almost been two years since the NACT Government came into office on the back of a big law and order campaign – but what have they done to help ordinary Kiwis in that time?

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Filed under: Auckland, asian, ethnic, law and order
27 Comments

Mark Ford, czar of water and transport

Posted by Phil Twyford on October 7th, 2010

When Mark Ford took the job of chairman of the Auckland Transition Agency 16 months ago he said he would seek no further employment with the Super City once the Auckland Council was set up. That promise was made amid concerns about how much power Mr Ford would wield in the ATA role. The Herald reported at the time that some National Cabinet Ministers were understood to have had concerns about his conflicts of interest heading Watercare and the transport authority.

But such official concerns seem to have dissipated. Mr Ford, working closely with Local Government Minister Rodney Hide, has overseen the establishment of the super city, at times directly advising Cabinet. He was responsible for the recruitment of the executives and hand-picked boards who will run the city. And now he himself has landed two of the most powerful roles. He is the new CEO of the new water monopoly. He is also chair of the powerful transport agency which will spend more than half of Aucklanders’ rates.

I think Mr Ford’s competence is unquestioned but I have been critical of the concentration of power in the hands of one unelected official. It is particularly galling such a significant appointment has been made three days out from a new mayor and council taking office. There is a convention in central government that senior public service managers don’t get appointed during an election campaign. Why couldn’t they have waited until the new mayor and council were in place?

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Filed under: Auckland, democracy, local government
19 Comments

Taste of Japan in New Zealand

Posted by Raymond Huo on September 26th, 2010
Opening the Taste of Japan 2010 festival in Auckland, we had the opportunity to firstly taste the pure and fresh Japanese sake (??). Photo credit: Paul Stevenson

Opening the Taste of Japan 2010 festival in Auckland, we had the opportunity to firstly taste the pure and fresh Japanese sake (??). Photo credit: Paul Stevenson

Congratulations to the New Zealand Japan Society of Auckland on its 50th anniversary!

Thousands of Aucklanders enjoyed the Logan Campbell Centre event on Saturday, where the organisers “walk you through a unique time” from Oshougatsu (New Year) through to Oomisoka (End of Year).

I conveyed Labour Leader Phil Goff’s regards in my speech by starting with “Go sh?tai itadaki arigat? gozaimasu!”

My efforts to try to deliver a short speech in Japanese seemed to have met the approval of both the Consul General Ishida and the Society’s President Stephen Duxfield.

Special features of the one-day event included visiting musicians, dancers and calligraphy artists from our sister city in Japan, Haiku (poetry) competition, Japanese art exhibition and Tatami workshop to make our own miniature tatami mat.

The Society was established in March 1960 in Auckland by the former Ambassador of Japan S. Ishiguro and A.G. Hardy Hon. Consul of Japan. Mr Hardy was known as Captain Hardy a member of the Northern Steamship Co, which was an agent of Nitto Line (later Nippon Line). Mr Hardy was Hon. Consul for Japan for a long time until the appointment of the first Consul of Japan, Mr Isaburo Mukumoto in 1968. The first President of the society was Mr Owen Rainger (see www.nzjapan.net).

As Mr Duxfield said that “the society stood the test of time and gained credibility as we adhere to our core aims to serve the broader community.”

Arigat?gozaimashita!

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Auckland, asian, community, events, international
1 Comment

When ’speak to the hand’ isn’t good enough

Posted by Phil Twyford on September 23rd, 2010

ata_board_rounded_370px

Mark Ford was appointed by Rodney Hide to set up the Auckland super city. The ratepayers of Auckland pay him $540,000 a year.

He was responsible for hiring the agency Momentum to recruit 45 senior executives for the super city. Momentum has close ties with the National Party, employing former National Party President Michelle Boag as a senior executive, and with former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley on its board. Back in February it was revealed Ms Boag was working for John Banks’ mayoral campaign as an unpaid adviser while at the same time recruiting the super city’s chief spin doctor.

Now we find out Ms Boag has been soliciting money and votes for John Banks on Momentum letterhead while the agency is recruiting the super city’s top executives. Mr Ford is asked about it by the Herald and he says “I’m not going there.”

When Mark Ford effectively says “speak to the hand” it is a disturbing sign of what could be in store for Auckland after the local body elections.  After overseeing the establishment of the super city, and advising Cabinet against allowing elected representatives on the boards of CCOs, and overseeing the appointment of the CCO boards, Mr Ford finds himself appointed to chair the powerful new transport agency which will spend more than half of Aucklanders’ rates.

He will be responsible for every transport matter from the smallest pot-hole to the second harbour crossing. And this is how seriously he takes public accountability.

But let’s be clear about this. Mark Ford is only a public servant. Rodney Hide is the Minister. He is responsible. He designed the structures of the Auckland super city which have shifted 75% of civic operations into council owned companies run by hand-picked corporate boards.  The entire lot was signed off every step of the way by John Key’s Cabinet.

It is time for Rodney Hide to tell Aucklanders whether this is the standard of public accountability he expects from the people running the super city.

Update: Rodney Hide washed his hands of responsibility for this matter in Question Time this afternoon, even though the Momentum contact is costing Auckland ratepayers $355,000 to recruit 45 managers for the super city. I’m calling on Hide to show some accountability and tell Mark Ford to bring the ATA’s relationship with Momentum to an end.

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Filed under: Auckland, democracy, local government
26 Comments

Rail links – yes, holiday highway – no. Time to listen to Aucklanders, Mr Joyce

Posted by David Shearer on September 20th, 2010

Steven Joyce might want to think about the Herald’s digipoll that asked what Aucklanders most want. Top of the list – and what they’d be willing to increase rates for – is a rail link to the airport. Improving public transport was right up there too. In fourth place was improving roads – Joyce’s infatuation.

Joyce’s rear visionary thinking is not in line with what Auckland wants, or needs.

An inner city loop rated lower but is necessary before a link to the airport becomes feasible. It’s impossible to run the frequency of trains from the airport without it. It’s fair to say the case for the loop has yet to be made as clearly as it could to Aucklanders.

So let’s sink the Holiday Highway – one of the Roads of National Party Significance Joyce is blindly championing – and get in behind what people want, rather than fight on with 1950s thinking.

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Filed under: Auckland, Uncategorized, local government, transport
42 Comments

Chinese “Rebuilding” Fundraising Drive for Christchurch

Posted by Raymond Huo on September 9th, 2010
Latest Updates: Christchurch Earthquake" (translated from Chinese). From 4 September, major Chinese-language media in Auckland have created special pages to keep the Chinese communities home and abroad posted.

Latest Updates: Christchurch Earthquake" (translated from Chinese). From 4 September, major Chinese-language media in Auckland have created special pages to keep the Chinese communities home and abroad posted.

The major Auckland-based Chinese media have jointly launched a “Rebuilding” fund to assist in the aftermath of the Canturbury Earthquake.

We intend to utilise our networks in the NZ Chinese Community to help as many of the affected people as we can.

There needn’t be much said about why we want to assist these people. They are all our neighbours.

Jerry Wen Yang, Chief Editor of The United Chinese Press, summarised the perspective of some of the newer New Zealanders:

“Many of us did not undergo the ardours of the pioneering experience, did not sweat to erect cities that now stand by the beaches… This time around, we encounter a rare opportunity for us to return a favour to the country that took us in, and say ‘Ta’ to the New Zealanders who have treated us so generously.”

I feel humbled that these media organisations have asked me to assist them with this drive. I have maintained regular contact with the Chinese communities in Christchurch, and I am very impressed with their life stories.

For more information about how to contribute to this fund please see the Media Release here.

Filed under: Auckland, asian
10 Comments

Let them eat cake

Posted by Phil Twyford on September 9th, 2010

I enjoy a regular correspondence with Rodney Hide’s Auckland Transition Agency each letter prefaced with the phrase “Under the Official Information Act…”.  The ATA is the special group of public servants whose job it is to set up the Auckland super city.  I’ve been critical of their secretive ways but when they do release information they do it in style.

And now their secret is out. The Aucklander has revealed the ATA is writing its letters on replica goatskin parchment which costs $118 for a ream of 500 sheets  – up to 17 times the cost of normal paper.

Why not real goatskin parchment? That’s what I want to know. Tight-wads!

According to The Aucklander the ATA’s paper is Grecian tan rather than shades such as marble white or faint Corinthian green.

I am surprised they don’t go the whole hog and hand deliver their letters on a gold cushion with tassels.

As for the Auckland ratepayers, a majority of whom believe their rates will go up under the super city, I am sure Lord Hide of Epsom would happily let them eat cake.

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Filed under: Auckland, humour, local government
20 Comments

Minister for school privatisation

Posted by Phil Twyford on September 8th, 2010

I see Rodney Hide’s new delegations as associate education minister include responsibility for public private partnerships in schools.

Is this another instance of the Nats using Hide to front stuff they would like to do but don’t have the cojones for? And Key giving Hide the opportunity to play to his right wing base?

For a while there it looked like that strategy might work with the super city.  When the public reacted to unpopular decisions Key could just shrug and say “well, that’s Rodney”. But things got so out of control, and Hide’s brand so damaged, that his low standing with the public and close association with the super city has done a great deal to tarnish the whole project.

I wonder how successful he will be at convincing the public that PPPs in schools are a good idea.

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Filed under: Auckland, education, local government, privatisation, public services
17 Comments

“Satisfying needles filling the pleasure”

Posted by Raymond Huo on September 6th, 2010

Acu“Satisfying needles filling the pleasure”?or speak English with Asian accent: “Certified needles feeling the pressure” ? working both ways.

[Image: Portrait of a lady in acupuncture therapy at the day spa. Source: http://www.123rf.com]

A graduation ceremony on Sunday (5 September) in Auckland may offer a better interpretation of the phrases “adaptation”, “settlement” or even “assimilation” in the context of preparing migrants to enter the workforce.

A group of 33 students were awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science (Acupuncture). It is believed that it is the first time in New Zealand that such a degree has ever been made available. As Paddy McBride, President of NZ Register of Acupuncturists, rightly observed that it is difficult to call which one is harder: for westerners to learn acupuncture or for those highly-qualified Chinese practitioners to learn, again, acupuncture in New Zealand but in English.

It is a challenging journey for both. But for the graduates – largely Chinese – many of them were qualified in China after their compulsory 5-year medical school training at universities. At least one of them held a personal chair in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and many others had practised for more than a decade before coming to New Zealand.

Therefore, to get such a degree in New Zealand is truly special and their achievement is awesome.

(more…)

Filed under: ACC, Auckland, asian
90 Comments

Not good enough Mr Hide

Posted by Grant Robertson on September 3rd, 2010

(This post is in part by way of explanation to passengers on board Flight NZ410 from Wellington to Auckland this morning, some of whom might have witnessed a somewhat odd exchange between me and Rodney Hide.)

Since Heather Roy was dumped as Minister responsible for special education I have been trying to find out what is happening with the review of Special Education.  Heather had said publicly that it was due out in July or August, and my understanding was that it was before Cabinet the very week she was dumped.  I have put in written questions asking for information about the review which were due for reply on the 26th of August but I have not had a response.

So this morning when I was on a plane to Auckland to visit, among other things, a couple of special schools, it was timely to see Rodney Hide get on the plane.  As we stood up to disembark I asked if Rodney was indeed taking on the special education portfolio (he confirmed he was) and when the review was to be released.  He responded by saying “when the government is ready.”  Before I could go any further he said we could not expect cooperation from him on the review due to his issues about Labour’s approach on the super city. I said I was not asking about the Super City and that the review was important to a large number of parents, schools and students.

What followed was a tirade from Rodney as we walked up the air bridge about the Super City and related issues. I kept saying that I was interested in the review as many others are, and that Rodney really needed to be able to seperate out his portfolio issues.   As he stopped and I walked on his tirade continued.

I would not normally report on an exchange like this,  but his approach is not good enough.  The whole special education community is waiting for the review to be released. As I was told today on my visits, it is holding up planning and development in schools.  Parents and students involved in special education deal with enough stress and pressure as it is. They deserve far better than a Minister who can not deal with his anger about a completely unrelated issue.

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Filed under: Auckland, education
42 Comments

Ethnic Aucklanders under-represented in council controlled organisations

Posted by Ashraf Choudhary on August 31st, 2010

The list of directors and chairs for Auckland Super City’s council-controlled organisations agreed by Cabinet last week under-represents the Asian and Ethnic voice.

It is a big disappointment the Government has not acknowledged more fully Asian and Ethnic representation in its Super City reform.

There are many successful Asian business people to choose from. This is exactly the kind of initiative the Government should be using to improve representation for ethnic people.

According to the Government every single member and chair is an Aucklander, yet the make-up of CCO boards announced does not acknowledge the over 20 percent of Aucklanders of ethnic descent.

This insensitivity is not acceptable to the wider ethnic community of Auckland, who have contributed hugely to the cities economic development.

These nominations were invited from Mayors of all Auckland territorial authorities, the chair of the Auckland Regional Council, Ministers, as well as the Ministers of Women’s Affairs, Consumer Affairs, and Pacific Island Affairs, Te Puni Kökiri, the Offices of Ethnic Affairs and Disabilities and the Treasury.

I question how robust this nomination process was, because the CCO board certainly does not reflect the diversity of Auckland city.

Filed under: Auckland, ethnic, local government
47 Comments

Hide hoses down Auckland water fears

Posted by Phil Twyford on August 31st, 2010

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide has intervened in the Auckland mayoral and council elections with a carefully contrived announcement on water rates.

You would think water rates would be decided and announced by the new Auckland Council. The election is, after all, only six weeks away. And the water company, is after all, owned  by the Council.

But no, Mr Hide yesterday trumpeted a new water rate that will see all Auckland houses pay the same tariff of $1.30 per 1000 litres of water.

Asked why he was announcing it now, he replied because Aucklanders have been “anxious about water” charges.

Why have they been anxious about water charges? Because the Government wants to roll out volumetric or user pays pricing for waste-water expected to result in hefty increases for most Aucklanders. And because the centre-right Citizens and Ratepayers ticket has the same policy. And the C&R mayoral candidate Mr Banks has been taking heat on this issue.

Mr Hide was happy to announce the new rate on water piped to the home, but he was keeping quiet on the new rate for waste water which is the one that is likely to go up significantly if it gets the full user-pays treatment. If he was going to announce one I don’t see why he couldn’t have announced both, because Watercare has had a full year to do the calculations on both.

The farsighted Mr Hide has legislated that waste water charges, and general rates, won’t be going up until mid-2012 which just happens to be after the mayoral and council elections, and after next year’s general election.

By the time the new waste water and general rates kick in, the Auckland Council will have been in place for 18 months and Mr Hide will be able to wash his hands of any responsibility. He is hoping the Council will have to carry the can for the structures and budgets he put in place 18 months before.

If in 2012 the waste water charges and general rates do go up, as most Aucklanders believe they will, with any luck we won’t have to listen to Mr Hide blaming the Auckland Council.  He will be long gone by then.

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Filed under: Auckland, local government, water
18 Comments

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