Hi,
You may have seen we took a little trip to the Local Government NZ conference this week⌠Â
RATEPAYER VICTORY on Rates Capping đĽł
Our Big Beautiful Cap Rates Now truck certainly got heads turning at the LGNZ conference, and outside we had Local Government Minister Simon Watts confirm that yes, rates capping would be sorted âby Christmasâ.
That means the legislation will be in before councils can pre-emptively increase rates to give themselves a higher starting position. Weâd call that a resounding victory.
But the fight isnât over yet đ¤
The work isnât done. New Zealand First said they wouldnât get involved in local government matters (interestingly, this came after Shane Jones threatened to dissolve all regional councilsâŚ), and ACT have said that spending needs to be under control before we can think about rates caps.Â
Thatâs all well and good but thereâs simply no incentive to get spending under control if you donât have the limit on revenue to force councils to cut their cloth to fit the economic reality of ratepayers.
Deputy PM comes out against councils having "general competence"Â đ
The power of general competence means local councils can do pretty much anything a person can do â as long as itâs not against the law.
Prior to 2002 (before the change) councils could only do things if a law specifically said councils were empowered to. By definition, removing the power of general competence would legally limited councils to 'core services' and not, say giving $128,352 to a MÄori circus school (classic Auckland Council...).
Right now, Christopher Luxon and Simon Watts are talking the talk about councils needing to 'focus on core services' but the jury is out on whether they're just jawboning, or will actually make this change to force it.
So what comes next? đ¤¨
Weâll continue keeping the pressure on the government to improve and pass this legislation. And weâll be monitoring the local elections closely, launching our ratepayer pledge and voting guides (contingent on funding! đŹ) in the next few weeks â so you can see exactly which candidates are on your side.
And if you want to show that we have support right across the country, we still have Cap Rates Now banners available for our supporters.
Woke banking regulatory taxes are bck on the menu đłđ¤˘
Hot on the heels of yet more food price inflation, the Ministry for the Environment is cooking up a new recipe to harpoon rural finance.
Enter the so-called Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, a soon-to-be-mandatory framework so disconnected from the realities of farming that it could see banks slap higher interest rates on every commercial farmer in New Zealand. Incredibly, the group designing it didnât include a single farmer.
If it comes into force, farmers wanting a bank loan will have to choose either hitting impossible environmental targets (like cutting emissions-per-hectare by 86 percent for dairy farms) to stay financially viable. Itâs just not going to work - unless their goal is solely to drive up prices.
Worse still, this is landing right as Parliament is debating whether to scrap previous ideological banking rules â through both the Banking Inquiry and not one, but two Membersâ Bills.
Whereâs the democratic accountability if bureaucrats can just sneak in new rules behind Parliamentâs back? We say: scrap the taxonomy, and let farmers farm. Read Jamesâ submission here.
New Plymouth councillors caught skipping work đŤľđ
Our latest investigation has uncovered a worrying trend in New Plymouth: several district councillors are missing official meetings, sometimes without even bothering to send their apologies.
We obtained the councilâs dismal attendance records, and the findings are clear: ratepayers are footing the bill for representatives who often don't turn up and in some cases, donât even acknowledge their absence.
Try skipping work without notice in the private sector â you wouldnât last a week! We say Councillors should be held to the same standard. If youâre being paid to represent your community, you're paid to, well, show up.
Local government shouldnât be treated as a part-time gig with full-time perks. Ratepayers deserve accountability and that starts with attendance. If a councillor canât commit to the job, they shouldnât collect the pay.
Itâs time to raise expectations. Ratepayers need for recall elections, so communities arenât stuck with absentee councillors for three years. If you donât do the job, you should be replaceable.
Are the Public Service too ungrateful? đĽ¸
The latest Public Service Census is out and it paints a pretty grim picture of who your taxpayer dollars are paying.
On average, the Public Service is paid 30 percent more than the private sector (the average salary is $101,700). But public servants still arenât happy.
Only 34 percent are satisfied with their pay. Just 30 percent think it reflects their performance.
And fewer than half â only 44 percent â believe jobs are handed out based on merit.
Itâs time for taxpayers to demand accountability. And the solutions aren't hard: Tie performance to pay, cut the bloat, and remind the public service who theyâre here to serve.
Slimy hide and seek: NZTA frog hunt costs $74,000 in Brynderwyns đ¸đ
Next time youâre stuck in traffic near the Brynderwyns, spare a thought not for the potholes, but for the frogs.
Yes, frogs.
The frog hunt included spotlighting, morning patrols, and even machine-assisted "salvage" (aka digging for frogs with an excavator!).Â
Tragically, two frogs were found dead, which kicked off even more protocols and added $10,000 in costs to make culverts more frog-friendly. Yes, really.
No word yet on whether the frogs were grateful.
Meanwhile, youâre still dodging potholes and waiting for roads to reopen.
Thanks for all of your support. It's been a massive week with some great wins, and none of it would have happened without you.
Have a great weekend.
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ps. If you haven't seen it, watch Simon Watts' blazing speech to our supporters outside the LGNZ conference. A Ratepayer Hero? â¤ď¸Â
