Do not believe the lies
The left and many media claim that large rates increases were necessary due to under-investment in core infrastructure such as water. Now while it is true more needs to be spent on water infrastructure, they overlook that there is a huge amount of spending on discretionary and wasteful stuff.
Here’s the list I have been keeping, just for Wellington City.
- $593 million on social housing capital (most councils don’t do social housing)
- $510 million for a sludge minimisation facility at Moa Point
- $330 million on rebuilding the town hall so we have another music venue
- $325 million on social housing operational (most councils don’t do social housing)
- $240 million on Civic Square
- $236 million on food recycling (will cost $19,000 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions reduction)
- $189 million on Te Matapihi library (the three existing CBD libraries are great)
- $180 million on the Takina convention centre (which somewhat is managing to lose money on every exhibition it hosts)
- $160 million on cycleways
- $139 million on removing cars and redeveloping the Golden Mile
- $55 million to
upgradedestroy Thorndon Quay - $42 million on renovating St James Theatre
- $32 million to Reading Cinemas (attempted but failed)
- $13 million on a carpark building
That is a staggering $3 billion, which equates to around $38,000 per household.
Now most councils aren’t quite as fiscally laxative as Wellington, but all of them will have large expensive non-core projects. Rates increases are a choice, not a necessity.