Fire and Emergency costs blowout
The Taxpayers’ Union has looked at the ever-increasing costs of FENZ.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.kiwiblog.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-11-at-12.38.51 PM.png?resize=560%2C400&ssl=1)
The merger was mean to see operating costs decline by over 10%. Instead they have increased by 40%.
Management and support staff have increased by 31% over the five-year period from 2017/18 to 2022/23 whilst career firefighters and volunteer numbers have only increased by 5% over the same period.
I’d rather see those numbers reversed – 31% more firefighters and only 5% more managers.