Nelson Council’s $88m slap in the face for ratepayers

Nelson City Council has chosen the most expensive Civic Hub option – an $88 million new build on Church Street – despite overwhelming public opposition.

Taxpayers’ Union spokeswomen Tyler Groenewald said:

“Mayor Nick Smith is right to call this a ‘one-fingered salute’ to the public. Ratepayers spoke clearly, yet councillors ignored them and picked the costliest option in a cost-of-living crisis. That is pure contempt for the people paying the bills.

“The price tag works out at almost $3,900 per household, equivalent to more than 80 percent of a household’s average annual rates bill. Ratepayers are being forced to bankroll a luxury project they explicitly rejected.

“Public consultation means nothing if councillors simply press ahead with their preferred building. When councils treat ratepayer opinion as optional and ratepayer money as endless, rates keep climbing and trust collapses.

"Decisions like this prove that whatever the result on Saturday, any incoming government must commit to Cap Rates Now to bring council spending under control."