July 31, 2015
MEDIA RELEASE
JOB WELL DONE? COUNCILLORS SET TO POCKET PAY RISE
FRIDAY 31 JULY 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Responding to the report that Auckland’s Councillors and Mayor Len Brown look set for a 2.3 per cent pay increase, just days after voting to increase the average rates burden by 9.9 per cent, Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Carmel Claridge, says:
“This is an insult to Aucklanders who are suffering under a completely unjustifiable rates burden. At a time when Aucklanders are having to go without in order to meet this increase, the Remuneration Authority seem to want to congratulate councillors on a job well done.”
“In what other organisation would you give a pay rise to bosses who have blown out the budget and left the public picking up the pieces?”
"With his shattered promise to keep rates rises to 2.5%, Len Brown should turn down this pay rise."
ENDS
July 20, 2015
MEDIA RELEASE
AUCKLAND TRANSPORT HIKE PARKING RATES, BUT COUNCILLORS GET IT FOR FREE
MONDAY 20 JULY 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Auckland Ratepayers Alliance can reveal that Auckland Council has allocated 51private car parks worth more than $250,000 so that Councillors and senior officials can can avoid the Council’s own 40 to 50 per cent hike in parking charges which comes into effect next month.
Documents, available on the Ratepayers’ Alliance website, show that elected officials and 30 other staff members are entitled to a car park which the Council estimates to be worth $4,920 each. From next month it will cost $24 to park all day at the council's three central city buildings at Downtown, the Civic and Victoria Street.
Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Jo Holmes, says:
“High rates, the new transport levy, and now a 50 per cent increase in the cost of parking – when will the Council get off Aucklanders' backs? Worse, While they tell everyone else to take the bus, Councillors feather their own nests by buying private parking spaces."
“In October last year, Auckland Transport abolished early-bird off-street car parking as they claimed it was subsiding commuter car travel into the city centre. In addition, the Council has now decided to hike parking charged by between 40 and 50 per cent in the Council-own car parks."
“While Aucklanders have to pay top dollar to get parking in Auckland, Councillors and thirty Council bigwigs have free parking on the ratepayer. This is a clear case of do as I say, not as I do."
ENDS
July 20, 2015
Today we can reveal that as the Council is hiking parking charges by 40 - 50 per cent from next month, Councillors and senior Council staffers are enjoying free carparks courtesy of ratepayers.
From next month it will cost $24 to park all day at the council's three central city buildings at Downtown, the Civic and Victoria Street. Yet documents we have released today show that elected officials and 30 other staff members are entitled to individual car parks worth at least $4,920.
Aucklanders have faced increased rates, the transport levy and now the prospect of a further 50 per cent increase in the cost of parking. When will the Council get off Aucklanders' backs? Even worse - while they are telling everyone else to take the bus or train, Councillors are feathering their own nests with their private parking spaces.
Early-bird parking was abolished last year by Auckland Transport as they claimed it was subsidising commuter traffic into the city centre. Now they have announced that wasn't enough - so want to increase prices by 40 - 50 per cent!
While Aucklanders have to pay top dollar to get parking in Auckland, councillors and thirty council big-wigs have free parking courtesy of ratepayers. This is a clear case of do as I say, not as I do.
July 14, 2015
MEDIA RELEASE
RATEPAYERS DEALT THE DAMAGE TOMORROW
TUESDAY 14 JULY 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tomorrow ratepayers will learn how Auckland Council’s rates hikes will impact them, with the Council launching its online rating database at midnight tonight.
Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Jo Holmes, says “Ratepayers will be going online to discover the financial damage the Len Brown’s budget has brought upon their household.”
“Our experts estimate that between 9,000 and 10,000 households will be facing rates increases of more than $1,000. At a time when inflation is close to zero, rates increases of this magnitude are completely unjustified.”
The Council is spending up to $90,000 on a telemarketing company and mailout to warn people of the rates hike.
"This adds insult to injury," says Ms Holmes. "Instead of calling people to spin the bad news, ratepayers would rather the Council focus at delivering value for money.”
“The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is determined to hold those Councillors who are responsible for these rates hikes accountable."
Since April, more than 11,000 people have joined as supporters of the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance at www.ratepayers.nz.
ENDS
July 09, 2015
MEDIA RELEASE
LEN BROWN WILL BE LICKING LIPS RE PROPOSED TREASURY LEVY
THURSDAY 9 JULY 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A proposed Treasury levy requiring Auckland property investors to pay 1 per cent of the capital value of their rental properties to Auckland Council would have the effect of reducing the incentive for infill housing and would likely push up the cost of living for the poorest Aucklanders. Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Jo Holmes, says:
“Len Brown will be delighted to learn that Wellington bureaucrats are working on ways he can tax Aucklanders more. Meanwhile, our economic experts tell us that this proposed capital charge would likely discourage the very infill housing and development which Auckland Council is encouraging to solve the housing crisis."
“Any new taxes on landlords are likely to simply be passed onto tenants. If high taxes were the solution to Auckland’s housing problems, surely the Council’s 9.9 per cent whack would have solved it.”
“Generally when you tax something you get less of it. Wellington’s thinking that a new housing tax is going to result in more houses is bizarre."
“Among our members are tenants facing rent increases as landlords reluctantly adjust rent in order to pay an increased rates burden. The last thing Aucklanders need is for the cost of living to go up even more.”
ENDS
July 01, 2015
A member has sent this through to highlight what he thinks is the Council spending money unnecessarily.
***
Friends of Fowlds Park are a community of people who oppose Auckland Council’s plans to build a 10,000 square metre artificial pitch in Fowlds Park, Mt Albert, as part of Council's plans to build 37 artificial pitches in public parks across Auckland at a cost of more than $2 million per pitch (a total of $74 million).
The reasons we’re opposing the application are listed on our website. Briefly, if Council chose fibre reinforced grass, as it has chosen for for Nixon Park, Kingsland, instead of an artificial surface, it would deliver as many hours of sport but would have none of the adverse effects on the environment particular to artificial pitches. The fibre reinforced grass option would cost only around one third as much to install, a total of only $24 million for 37 fields, a $50 million saving.
We ask for your support by making a submission to Auckland Council’s application by 13th July (click here for details).
We believe it is important that as many individuals and organisations as possible, wherever they are located, make submissions on this important issue which affects the whole of Auckland and all Aucklanders.
Kind regards
Will McKenzie (on behalf of Friends of Fowlds Park)
[email protected]
June 25, 2015
Well it's now official. Len Brown's 'pledge' to cap rates at 2.5% was a joke all along
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is saddened that Aucklanders will be facing an average 9.9% rates increase after passing the Mayor's proposed budget nine votes to ten.
This locks in rate increases ninety-nine times the current rate of inflation. With some suburbs facing rate increases of nearly 20% in a single year. What confidence can Aucklanders have in Len Brown when he promises a 2.5% rates cap and delivers a 9.9% rates hike?
The Ratepayers’ Alliance will be making it its mission to ensure that not a single councillor that voted for today's rates hike will be re-elected next year.
The "Terrible Ten":
- Len Brown
- Arthur Anae
- Bill Cashmore
- Linda Cooper
- Chris Darby
- Alf Filipaina
- Mike Lee
- Calum Penrose
- Wayne Walker
- Penny Webster
Penny Hulse was not at this vote, but has previously indicated support for Len Brown's financial management of the City.
June 22, 2015
Today the New Zealand Herald reported that the five councillors listed below would be abstaining from voting on Len Brown's budget, which includes the proposed 9.9% rates increase.
These councillors know that Aucklanders are already facing high rates bills and do not want to have them go even higher.
They have the opportunity to vote against the Mayor's proposal and ensure that a new, more affordable, plan is agreed to.
We encourage our supporters to email these representatives and urge them to vote against the Len Brown's high spend, low value budget.
June 01, 2015
MEDIA RELEASE
GREEN MAN CAMPAIGN CREEPY, PATRONISING AND EXPENSIVE
WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is backing the comments of Auckland Transport Blog editor, Matt Lowrie, that Auckland Transport’s “Green Man” campaign is both stupid and creepy, Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Jo Holmes, says:
“If Auckland Transport want to do good, they should focus on providing better quality, safer roads rather than gimmicky campaigns paying people to dress up in a morph suit and hold peoples hand as they cross the road.”
“Auckland Transport says the social cost of motor vehicle injury justifies this campaign. They seem to have forgotten that they are an agency tasked with overseeing Auckland’s transport infrastructure, not social issues.”
“This is nothing short of a gimmick campaign doing a poor job of trying to replicate the work of central government agencies.”
ENDS
May 11, 2015
Last night we went public on Auckland Council's plans to spend up to $10 million on a new Council chamber so that the Mayor and Councillors don't have to walk the 400 metres to the existing chamber in the Auckland Town Hall. The confidential briefing, provided to the Ratepayers’ Alliance and given to One News, was requested by councillors who asked officials for "options to improve councillor and public experience" and move the chamber into the Council’s new office tower at 135 Albert Street.
As a result of our shinning the light on what the Council was doing behind closed doors, the Council has backed down with One News today unable to find a single Councillor willing to support the proposal they had asked for!
The One News coverage of our release of the secret briefing made to Councillors is here. We also uploaded the full presentation to here.
Today Mayor Len Brown fronted (unlike yesterday) but surprisingly blamed his CEO - even though it was pointed out to him that the presentation makes clear that this was an initiative the Councillors had requested…
For an organisation less than a month old, we are proud that our efforts have already forced a Council back down that will save ratepayers millions. Our work isn’t costless though – if you can chip in, donate now to help us keep the Super City honest.
