Christchurch Ratepayers Ought to be Appalled by Council Overspend at Three Waters Department

Responding to news that Christchurch City Council’s Three Waters department has overspent by $6.5 million on staffing positions since July of 2019, while the council is warning of double-digit rates hikes in the next Long-Term Plan, Taxpayers' Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, says:

“The Christchurch City Council needs to regain the confidence of ratepayers, after an array of financial missteps and a barely existent executive team raises serious questions about their ability to actually govern their city. It is ridiculous that Mayor Phil Mauger is warning of 18% rates rises, or asset sales and the reduction of public services, such as closing libraries, when its departments can’t avoid massive overspends, or perform basic professional practice, such as taking minutes, using employment forms, or writing legible financial reports concerning their own economic performance.

“The lack of leadership of the Christchurch Three Waters department is hardly surprising when considering that two executive members responsible for service delivery have resigned this year. Combined with the resignation of Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale and Chief Financial Officer Leah Scales this week, it is impossible to hold confidence in executive management at Christchurch City Council.

"Councillors need to start steering this ship and start making cutbacks on unnecessary spending and make every effort to promote financial responsibility to avoid the gargantuan rates rises that they threaten their residents with.”