The Post today reports on the major developments coming from yesterday’s meeting to amend the long-term plan after the decision not to sell the airport shares left the council with a $500m shortfall.

The proposals are estimated to save the council $380m to $400m which falls short of the $500m target.

Commenting on the proposals, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said “what will it take for the council to take its finances seriously? The budget is still at least $100m short, around $1,250 for every Wellington household. Is that getting slapped on families’ rates bills?“

"Mayor Tory Whanau’s dogged insistence that vanity projects like the Golden Mile and Town Hall go ahead unchanged screams that she’s keen to be the captain going down with her ship. Rather than sinking the city, take the obvious solutions and fix the financial leaks.”

“The Golden Mile isn’t just a “nice-to-have”, it’s a project that local businesses actively don’t want. In a time of financial crisis, the Mayor’s wasting $1,750 for every household in the city to kill the CBD”

“Given the council’s appalling record with major project costs blowouts, ratepayers shouldn’t believe for a second the cost for the Golden Mile will be kept to its $140m budget.”

“With rates spiralling, at this rate there’ll be no one left in the city to enjoy Tory Whanau’s build-at-any-cost vanity projects.”

NOTES:

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is an independent and membership-driven activist group, dedicated to being the voice for Kiwi taxpayers in the corridors of power. Its mission, lower taxes, less waste, more accountability, is supported by 200,000 subscribed members and supporters.

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