Unacceptable: Blunder To Cost New Plymouth Ratepayers $3 Million
Sam Warren, Local Government Campaigns Manager for the Taxpayers' Union, said:'It's hard to understate how much of a cock-up this is. Ratepayers deserve far better attention to detail as they face even higher rates than already forced on them.'
'Released earlier this week, the Rates Dashboard showed an average increase this year of 8.39 percent across the country for the year. New Plymouth's mistake could push that average up to 8.79 percent, depending on how the council reacts.'
'Rather than add costs on top of their already high rates, Council needs to do right by their ratepayers and search for the savings in the budget. How can the council expect ratepayers to budget when they can't do it themselves?"
"This whole bungle is why we need to Cap Rates Now and get Councils focused on the bottom line. More than 29,000 Kiwis have signed the petition, demanding big change in how our councils are run."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Scoop
ASB Declines Settlement Proposal, Class Action Case To Continue
ASB has declined a proposal by plaintiffs to settle the current class action case against the bank. The proposal was announced to media the day before the Select Committee hearings on the CCCFA Amendment Bill. In ASB's view this is an obvious attempt to influence and distract from this process by attempting to reassure Government about the potential risk to New Zealand banks under this piece of law. ASB does not understand the basis for the figures presented in the proposal or consider that they operate as an effective cap on the size of the plaintiffs' claim in the proceeding, including as the proposal is said to expire on 8 August 2025. The settlement offer received provides no certainty to ASB or other banks which may become subject to similar class actions, or to the sector as a whole. ASB Bank Helping you get one step ahead. In 1847, ASB opened as the Auckland Savings Bank with the pledge: 'to serve the community; to grow and to help Kiwis grow'. And that is very much what ASB is about today. ASB is a leading provider of integrated financial services in New Zealand including retail, business and rural banking, funds management and insurance. ASB strives to consistently provide its customers with outstanding service and innovative financial solutions. They're dedicated to providing simple financial products that allow their customers to bank with them how and when they want. We all have our own ways to measure progress, and our own stories about the things that matter to us. Whatever way you choose to measure progress, and whatever your goals, ASB is there to help you get one step ahead.
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
Marlborough council pushes ahead with changes despite Govt 'plan-stop' policy
By Kira Carrington , Local Democracy Reporter The potential for buildings and frost fans to obstruct a plane's air space is a matter of aviation safety, the Marlborough District Council says. Photo: Daniel Hutchinson / Marlborough Express Marlborough's council will charge ahead with changes aimed at airline safety, despite the government pushing pause on plan amendments. The district council's environment plan changes aim to ensure that buildings or objects that could compromise aircraft safety cannot be built close to Marlborough's three airports. Resource Management Act (RMA) reform minister Chris Bishop announced on Wednesday that the government wants to stop councils from passing amendments to environment and land use plans. Councils should not be wasting resources on making changes to plans under the RMA, ahead of major reforms expected in 2027, he said. "Even though councils know the RMA's days are numbered, many are required to continue with time-consuming, expensive plan-making processes under the RMA," Bishop said. "The government's intention is that stopping plan requirements for councils will enable them to focus on critical work to prepare to transition to the new system." RMA reform minister Chris Bishop says councils making plan changes under the soon-to-be defunct RMA is a waste of time and money. Photo: Kai Schwoerer / The Press Councils would be required to withdraw any planned changes that had not progressed to hearings within 90 days of the RMA Amendment Bill coming into effect in early August. The Marlborough District Council environment and planning committee unanimously voted to prepare a change to their Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan on Thursday, 24 hours after Bishop's announcement. Council strategic planner Clementine Rankin said the planned change would ensure buildings or objects that could compromise aircraft safety could not be built within the vicinity of Marlborough's three airports. "For safety purposes, it's critical to provide protection for air corridors used in approaches to, and departures from, our airports," Rankin said. "It is a civil aviation safety issue when structures like buildings or frost fans penetrate into [air corridors]." Visual and structural objects that penetrated into an airport's approach airspace were already prohibited under Civil Aviation Authority rules. But the council could not legally deny resource consents for people who wanted to build those objects without a change to the Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan. Rankin said there were recently constructed frost fans that had become a safety risk. Frost fans are used to stop cold air from settling in vineyards, preventing frost damage to grapes during winter. Photo: Scott Hammond / Marlborough Express "This issue has occurred due to the focus [in rural zoning] on noise only. "The controlled activity rule does not include an airport protection standard." Rankin said that the council would move forward with the plan change, despite Bishop's announcement, and would ask the Environment Minister for an exemption if they had to. Only private plan changes, natural hazard changes, and changes directed by the minister were automatically exempt. All other exemptions had to be requested from the minister within three months of the policy becoming law. Councillor David Croad greeted the announcement with a shake of his head, calling it "disingenuous". "I don't often participate in politics, but yesterday's plan-stop thing, [saying] 'we're stopping that because we want to save ratepayers' money', it's a little bit disingenuous in my opinion," Croad said. "Ultimately, it implies that the staff that we have in our planning departments are going to go home and go off payroll for a period of time. "We have great people in this building, and it takes a while to build good teams. "We just don't get to turn these things on and off at will." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
17 hours ago
- Scoop
ACT Announces Aaron McLeod & Jerry Pickford As ACT Local Candidates For Manawatū
Local Avionics Engineer and Community Volunteer, Aaron McLeod, Selected as ACT Local Candidate for Manawatū District Council ACT Local has selected Aaron McLeod – an avionics engineer and community volunteer – as its candidate for the Feilding Ward of the Manawatū District Council in this year's local election. Aaron, 36, has lived in the Manawatū for over a decade. He began his career as an avionics engineer in the Air Force and now works privately at the Feilding Aerodrome. Married with two young children, Aaron is also president of the Feilding Little Theatre and volunteers his time to help keep it running. 'I'm standing to make sure the Manawatū is a great place to raise kids, live and work. We need infrastructure that supports growth without leaving a debt burden on our children. That means cutting vanity projects, consultant spending, and keeping rates increases to no more than inflation I'll bring practical, communityfocused representation to council.' – Aaron McLeod Local Construction Business Owner, Jerry Pickford, Selected as ACT Local Candidate for Manawatū District Council ACT Local has selected Jerry Pickford – a coowner of a joinery and building company and manager of one of New Zealand's oldest frame and truss plants – as its candidate for the Feilding Ward of the Manawatū District Council in this year's local election. A father of three, and a qualified craftsman joiner, Jeremy leads complex prefabrication projects and works closely with clients and contractors every day. His handson business experience gives him a clear understanding of the challenges local families and businesses face everyday. 'I'm standing for council to bring a backtobasics approach that puts people first. I want to fix what's broken, reduce waste, and make rates fairer. I'll fight for practical investment in local infrastructure and stronger, safer communities – through fresh thinking, real solutions, and the courage to act.'– Jerry Pickford Earlier this year, ACT New Zealand announced it would be standing Common Sense Candidates for local government for the first time — after hearing from New Zealanders across the country who are sick of rising rates, ballooning budgets, and councils that ignore the basics while chasing ideological vanity projects. When you vote ACT Local, you know what you're getting: Fixing the basics Lower Rates Cutting the waste Stopping race-based politics Restoring accountability End the war on cars ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton says: ' ACT Local candidates are community-minded Kiwis who've had enough of wasteful councils treating ratepayers like ATMs. It's time to take control on behalf of ratepayers — to restore accountability and deliver real value for money. ACT Local is about getting the basics right: maintaining roads, keeping streets clean, and respecting the people who pay the bills. Our candidates won't divide people by race or get distracted by climate vanity projects. They're here to serve, not lecture." – Cameron Luxton
