News

Wayne Brown tells you to "f*ck off" 😳

We were on the fence about sharing this, but I think you should know what Wayne Brown has replied to the requests by our supporters for him to join hundreds of incumbent and prospective Mayors around New Zealand and sign the 2025 official Ratepayer Protection Pledge.

In short, Wayne Brown sent us a message in response to Aucklanders respectfully asking him to sign the Pledge.

Here's what he said:

Friend, telling ratepayers to 'f**k off' for asking him to commit to entirely reasonable positions is incredibly telling.

Even if he doesn't agree with keeping rates to inflation – he's thumbing his nose flicking the bird at committing to council spending transparency, and voting against more unelected appointments to council committees.

So much for "fixing Auckland", Mr Brown! 💩

Friend, voting turnout is extremely low – which means your vote matters more than ever. With less than 10 days to go, make sure you have voted, and please make sure you've voted for council candidates who have done the honourable thing and signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.

To see which local candidates in your area have signed the Pledge, visit the Ratepayer Voting Guide @ Ratepayer.Vote

Ratepayer Victory: Democratic accountability returned as AT reined in

Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance has declared a major victory with the news today that democratic accountability will be returned to Auckland’s transport functions.

Sam Warren, a spokesman for the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance, said:

“We’ve pushed incredibly hard for these reforms, and finally decision making has been returned to democratically elected officials who ultimately answer to Aucklanders.”

“Auckland Transport has become a law unto themselves, wasting countless ratepayer dollars on projects neither wanted nor needed. Returning key decision-making powers to Auckland Council is the only possible solution to fix the massive disconnect.”

“We applaud the Mayor, and the Ministers for Auckland and Transport, for their work on this reform. But with our congratulations comes a challenge to the Mayor: no longer can Auckland Transport be blamed for reckless spending decisions. The Mayor has expressed his desire to find savings and reduce waste - now there is no excuse.”

“As the bill becomes law, we expect far greater use of ratepayer money on only the essentials. No more $60 million bills on road cones, or gold-plated cycle ways that are never used. This reform is a generational opportunity to get Auckland back to reality.”

REVEALED: $237,561 on fairy lights not a priority for Aucklanders

The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance can reveal, through a request made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, that ratepayers have spent $237,561 on the ‘Whai’ light-up installation that is currently displayed at Silo Park.

“It’s incredulous for Auckland Council to demand an extra $300 million this year from ratepayers, only to get caught funding light-up art installations. Have they no shame?”

“Council’s controversial 5.8 percent rates increase, which we now know is much higher, has hit households incredibly hard. When families are choosing between paying for rates or paying for groceries, can we agree that this is not a good use of money?”

“Auckland Council has claimed the average rates bill is $4,069 – on that assumption, they’ve effectively spent 60 households’ worth of rates on this one thing. And to ask us for more money with a straight face is just insulting.”

“Only five months ago we called out Auckland Council’s ridiculous $560,000 ‘Rainbow Machine’, and hanging fairy lights in Silo Park for a quarter million dollars simply isn’t a priority for households. Stick to the basics and start treating our money with some respect, otherwise we’ll find new councillors who will.”

Auckland Council threatens further $30 million rates increase events fund

Auckland Council this week will vote on underwriting a $30 million events fund that could see rates rise a further 0.4 percent if the Government doesn’t allow them to charge a bed tax.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman Sam Warren said:

“Councillors have things completely backwards. They’ve just added an extra $300 million on top of last year’s revenue; cut some spending before demanding even more money.”

“Pleading poverty to government so they can host big events is ridiculous, but if they’re so desperate for $30 million, why not cut the $32-million-a-year food scrap bin programme? Less than a third of Aucklanders use the bins, and the scheme doesn’t even stack up environmentally either.”

“There will always be an excuse for more tax, but Auckland Council has only exploded in bureaucracy and costs. Let’s find savings, pay down debt, and lower the rates burden so we can actually afford to live in this increasingly unliveable city.”

20-year old law student a ‘Ratepayer Hero’ for triumph over Auckland Transport

The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance has today hailed 20-year old law student, Sean O’Loughlin, a Ratepayer Hero for his triumph over Auckland Transport and the illegal installation of raised crossings that cost ratepayers $667,000.

“This is truly a modern-day David and Goliath story. Auckland Transport have been a force unto themselves for too long, and it’s time someone took a stand.” said Auckland ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman, Sam Warren.

“With no clear accountability to ratepayers, AT have run rough-shod with our money in their efforts to impede traffic, no matter the cost.”

“Mr O’Loughlin has a promising legal career ahead of him, sticking up for the little guy no matter how well-funded the adversary.”

“A $667,000 price tag for three illegal raised crossings is criminal. Fortunately there is light at the end of the tunnel. Mayor Wayne Brown has today hinted at the imminent and much-anticipated reform that will bring AT back into the control of Auckland Council and its democratically accountable members.”

Choosing between rates or groceries: Rural ratepayers hit hard by Auckland rate increases

Rural property owners have been blind-sided by recent rates increases, criticising a lack of consultation and rates bills well in excess of the purported 5.8 percent average increase by Auckland Council.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman, Sam Warren, said:

“They’ve got every reason to be upset, these rate increases are just not sustainable. The solution is obvious; cap rates now so households aren’t forced to choose between paying rates or paying for groceries.”

“This whole exercise has shown a failure in the revaluation process, but it’s much bigger than that. Adding $300 million the bottom line has hit households hard, and Council needs to sort itself out by cutting costs and living within its means.”

“Franklin ratepayers smacked with a 30 percent higher rates bill are wondering if they’re getting 30 percent more from council – of course they’re not.”

“Rural property owners across the board have raised the issue of slipping through the cracks, paying for council services they don’t necessarily benefit from.”

“Auckland Council needs to answer how they’re planning to lower rates and improve transparency – the lack of consultation is appalling. Above all, they need to cap rates now and get this under control.”

‘Give it to the Super Fund’: Auckland’s $1.3b Future Fund still without a manager

Concerns have been raised that a manager has yet to be appointed to manage Auckland Council’s $1.3b Future Fund following the sale of Auckland Airport Shares.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman, Sam Warren, said:

“The Future Fund should be given to the NZ Super Fund to be invested – it doesn't need it's own manager."

“Australia’s special funds are handled like this, and it works well. So why try reinvent the wheel here? Auckland Council always make things more complicated than they have to be.”

“Eight months on and they still haven’t found a manager, leaving serious money on the table that otherwise could be used to pay down debt and get rates increases down. Let’s treat this with some urgency and make the right decision.”

Auckland’s problems won’t be solved with another tax

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has renewed his calls for a ‘bed tax’ to be introduced, which has rightly been flatly refused by the Government.

“The last thing Auckland needs is another tax, and adding more problems isn’t going to fix the ones we already have” said Auckland ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman, Sam Warren.

“The Mayor stood on a platform of undoing the tangled bureaucratic mess that has plagued the Supercity since its formation. That’s what the Mayor stood for, and what he should spend his focus finishing.”

“Taxing visitors to try and draw in more visitors is backwards logic, and will be yet another slap to the city’s struggling hospitality sector.”

“Auckland desperately needs to dig itself out of the malaise it finds itself in. The focus needs to be on cutting through the noise and get back to basics, anything less than that is a distraction.”

BREAKING: Colossal cock-up on Auckland rates bills, urgent inquiry needed

News is breaking that a massive blunder has taken place in Auckland Council’s latest rates calculation, coming down to human error. It is currently unknown how many households have been overcharged for their rates bill.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman, Sam Warren, said:

“People are going without to be able to afford their rates bill, and now we’re discovering the bills were wrong.”“We’re calling for an urgent inquiry into this blunder, and an immediate halt to all rates bills going out until we can have full confidence that the issue is resolved.”

“More than 600,000 households rely on Auckland Council to get this right – the team overseeing rates literally have one job. This is not hard or complicated work. Such a huge error has destroyed any residual trust we can have in our decision-makers and the so-called experts paid extremely well not to screw this up.”

“If IRD sent out the wrong tax invoices, heads would roll. We must hold Auckland Council to the same standard. These people are being paid a fortune – the least they can do is do their jobs correctly. It’s simply not good enough. Someone must be held accountable, now.”

“We are urgently requesting a meeting with Auckland Council officials so they cannot dance around the seriousness of the issue through their army of comms staff. Aucklanders deserve answers and accountability.”

“Until we have every assurance in the calculations, and until the officials at the centre of this are held to account, Auckland ratepayers must not pay bills that they have no way of knowing are fair or accurate.”

REVEALED: Auckland’s $749,000 Reo Training Bill Drains Three Years of Paid Staff Time

The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance can reveal through a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request, Auckland Council has spent $430,865 on Te Reo Māori training over the past three years with no tests, no pass/fail criteria, and no proficiency outcomes required.

What’s more, the Council confirms staff logged 6,411 paid hours completing these courses at an estimated further $317,922.10 in staff costs.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman Sam Warren said:

“Ratepayers are again footing the bill for corporate cultural training that requires zero demonstration of learning. These aren’t just language courses, they’re another feel-good workshop.”

“Auckland Council has spent nearly half a million on the training itself, and then stuck ratepayers with the bill for more than three full years of full-time staff hours to attend.”

“Councils love spending big on this kind of training, but box-ticking isn’t an outcome in itself. If Auckland Council thinks training programmes are a good use of ratepayer money, then they either need to prove it or scrap the schemes.”