Media Release
18 December 2003

Ratepayers Will Pay For Foreshore And Seabed Policy

New Zealand First says ratepayers will be alarmed at the government passing its seabed and foreshore proposals on to local government to administer without compensation.

Under the policy announced yesterday, local councils will become imprest agents of the minority government in administering the system.

Local government spokesperson Jim Peters said today that regional and unitary councils have rightly been increasingly concerned about the high costs of implementing government decisions.

“The present proposals with regard to the seabed and foreshore will be complex, costly and are essentially are the Crown’s role in dealing with iwi.

“It is a matter for central government to administer and finance and should not be a charge on ratepayers.

“The Resource Management and Local Government Acts are all expensive recent legislative changes.

“Yet another costly intervention is being imposed on long suffering ratepayers,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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