Responding to Hamilton City Council’s decision to spend $700,000 moving and re-developing a bus stop due to its location outside an adult toy store, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said:

“Only a couple of weeks ago, Hamilton City Council advised that they were looking to make savings to slash debt and finally balance the books. If the Council was actually serious about righting the ship, they wouldn’t spend a moment considering this outlandish upgrade. Sadly, it’s clear that Hamilton City’s councillors are completely unwilling to do anything more than pay lip service to fiscal restraint.

“While the relocation of the bus stop may be justified given the backlash from where it is currently situated, the problems were easily foreseeable and it should never have been built there in the first place. The Council could quite easily repaint a few road markings and dig a new hole for the sign at next to no extra cost. Instead, Hamilton ratepayers are being forced to needlessly funnel money into what has turned out to be a laughably costly makeover.

“Even with cuts to maintenance and cleaning budgets, the mayor has signalled that an enormous 25.5% rate hike will still be required to whip Hamilton’s finances back into shape. It’s abundantly clear from vanity projects like these that there is still plenty of waste to axe first before the Council starts hacking away at core services.”

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