Congratulations to Auckland City Council for Roger Award Win

City Vision-Labour Councillors congratulate the Auckland City Council and its Executive Officer team for winning a Roger Award for contracting out Waiheke Island waste services from a local community company to transnational waste giant, Transpacific Industries (TPI).

The judges for the awards organised by the Campaign Against Foreign Control Aotearoa (CAFCA) and GATT watchdog said Auckland City Council won the award for a contracting out decision described as “distinctly controversial, questionable as well as ill-consulted” and that the Council was “acting as a template for future transference of public assets into private hands.”

Councillor Cathy Casey said, “I have been following this company’s dealings since the contracting out decision. What I read in the business pages about TPI’s activities worries me. I would far rather have local accountability, local jobs and face-to-face engagement with the islanders than an offshore company running Waiheke by remote control.”

Independent Hauraki Gulf Islands councillor Denise Roche said, “The Waiheke community was completely gutted last year when Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) councillors voted to dump the much-loved and highly successful local recycling contractors and gave the contract to the dodgy Australian outfit against the wishes of the majority of islanders.

“Islanders petitioned, wrote submissions, sent in survey forms, attended public meetings and marched up Queen St to try to convince council not to take waste management away from local control. We’re still really unhappy about it. The award is really appropriate as there’s no doubt in my mind that the Waiheke community was ‘done over’ with this deal.”

Councillor Leila Boyle said, “It is an unusual and interesting distinction that Auckland City Council has been the only council in New Zealand to ever ‘earn’ a Roger Award. It demonstrates the huge commitment by John Banks and his C&R councillors to ensure Auckland’s total waste stream is all controlled by an overseas waste industry conglomerate.”

Councillor Richard Northey said, “C&R’s main desire was to ensure that their big business mates secured the large and sustainable ratepayer-funded stream of money that goes with the stream of waste handed over to TPI.

“For C&R, ‘rogering’ the community-based and environmentally sustainable Clean Stream/Waiheke Waste Resource Trust whose successful and creative initiatives have won a number of awards was simply an added bonus for them to enjoy.”

Councillor Glenda Fryer said, “If only Auckland City Council were getting a Golden Globe Award for how positively and constructively it engaged in a transparent consultation process with this vibrant island community. This ‘dunce award’ is truly well deserved for ignoring the public and ignoring good waste management processes.

Councillor Graeme Easte said: “I am appalled that, in its push for greater efficiency, the new TPI operator and the Council have undermined the Waiheke community’s well developed recycling initiatives and lost jobs in a small and venerable economy.”

ENDS

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