The New Zealand Herald has today revealed an 18-month tender process for Auckland Transport’s $350 million outdoor advertising deal has essentially been restarted following a series of blunders and setbacks.

“What insiders have described as a ‘circus’ is an unfortunate insult to clowns” said Sam Warren, a spokesman for the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance.

“At least clowns can be funny.”

“Incompetence from Auckland’s most loathed organisation has resulted in countless man-hours, 35 official meetings, and more than a million dollars in contractor costs, wasted. Now it’s back to square one – all covered by the ratepayer.”

“There’s no version where this would fly in the private sector. Either the standards are simply lower at Auckland Transport, or they genuinely do not care about the ratepayers funding them.”

“Claims that the ‘investment in this process has not been wasted’ would be rejected by locals sick of a transport provider distracted by everything but delivering on its core services.”

"What business does AT have in brokering the largest ever media procurement in New Zealand’s history? Time is running out for them. In the meantime, lose the distractions, stick to the basics, and cut the waste. The rest will follow.”

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