Citizens&Ratepayer Councillors vote down Fair Water Rates

"If you want to make sure that Auckland City Council has a proper review of Metrowater's charging rate in November then you must vote for City Vision, Labour and Action Hobson council candidates in this election " said City Vision/Labour caucus leader Cr Richard Northey today.

The Parliamentary Local Government and Environment Select Committee Report, released yesterday, concluded unanimously that the scale of charitable payments proposed by the council and the way the public was kept informed was unwise and undermined the public's trust in the council. Big hikes in water rates is probably not the best way to make sure that our stormwater systems are improved. Last night, City Vision Councillor Neil Abel's moderately worded motion asking Council officers to take notice of the Select Committee's findings when the Annual Plan Direction Setting Meeting takes place in November was defeated.

The Citizen&Ratepayer Councillors spoke and voted as a block against Cr Abel's motion, saying in their speeches that Parliament had got it wrong and they would make up their own mind after the election about water pricing and Metrowater.

Richard Northey and Neil Abel undertook that all City Vision and Labour councillors would advocate for policies fully consistent with the Parliamentary Report's conclusions at the Annual Plan Direction Setting Meeting post-election. This would end the abuse of the Metrowater charitable payments system and greatly reduce the unfair and unjustified water and wastewater price increases that are currently signalled in Council's long-term plan.

For more information, contact:
Cr Richard Northey 027 247 9662
Cr Neil Abel 027 454 5630

Posted Fri 21 Sep 2007