Reacting to report in The Post revealing KiwiRail’s ferry project’s $14.4 million consultant spend, including $1 million on recruitment services alone, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tyler Groenewald said:

“$14.4 million on consultants and not a single ferry to show for it is the definition of a project that’s run aground before a single hull has even hit the water.”

“KiwiRail have spent nearly $1 million on recruitment alone; taxpayers are paying for consultants to find people to hire more consultants, while the actual ferries remain nowhere in sight.”

“The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Ombudsman to release the full list of consultant contracts immediately. Taxpayers deserve to know exactly who’s cashing in on this slow-motion shipwreck.”

“Taxpayers have totally been taken for a ride. Until someone drops anchor on this spending spree, taxpayers will keep footing the fare for a voyage to nowhere.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government’s decision to disestablish the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) as the first step toward reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“This is exactly the sort of quango reduction taxpayers voted for. One less bureaucracy, one less board, and one less layer of administration standing between taxpayers and value for money.”

“Ministers need to keep going. There are still far too many agencies, from the Outdoor Access Commission to the Office of Film and Literature Classification, that have outlived their original purpose but continue consuming taxpayer money.” 

The 2026 Ratepayers’ Report – the local council league tables – shows that among New Zealand’s biggest urban councils, staffing costs have become a major burden on households.  

While Auckland runs the country’s largest council machine in absolute terms, three other councils stand out for punishingly high staffing costs per household. Tauranga is costing households $2,047 in staff spending alone, Hamilton City $1,955, and Wellington City $1,919. 

Across the five councils, at least 324 council staff are paid more than $200,000 a year, with 88 paid $256,800 - more than a Government minister (outside of cabinet). 

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Josh Van Veen said: 

"At a time when families are cutting back, councils are asking ratepayers to fund ever-larger payrolls and management structures."

"For households feeling the pressure of high rates, these figures confirm exactly what they have long suspected: too much of their money is being swallowed by council staffing costs before a single pothole is filled."

"Wellington, Hamilton, and Tauranga lead the pack on a per-household basis. Auckland may spread its costs across a bigger base, but it still runs a vast bureaucracy that would make even Wellington blush."

"These figures suggest that the idea of 'public service' appears to have disappeared from local government. In some small towns now, the best paid jobs are at the local council. That's not sustainable."

"Local councils often claim that rates hikes are needed to fund infrastructure. But time and time again, the extra money goes on staffing. That is why capping rates to inflation is overdue."
 

NOTABLE FINDINGS 

• Tauranga is the most staffing-expensive of the metro councils on a per-household basis, with staff costs of $2,047 per household. 

• Wellington has the densest workforce, at 19.3 FTE per 1,000 households, and the highest consultant-and-contractor spend per household at $736 per household. 

  • This is 28 percent more than second-placed Hamilton City Council, which spent $575 per household. 
  • Christchurch refused to declare their contractor cost, but spent $72,416,538 on consultants, at $436.20 per household. 

• Hamilton is the most top-heavy structurally, with 26.8 percent of staff in management/comms roles. 

• Auckland ratepayers are not just funding services; they are propping up a bureaucracy with 948 managers and 77 communications staff. 

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Waikato Regional Council after being blocked from speaking at Thursday's meeting on whether the council should resign from Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ).

Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Waikato Regional councillors are preparing to vote on whether to keep funding LGNZ, yet they’ve refused to hear from ratepayer advocates calling for withdrawal. That’s not democracy, that’s ducking scrutiny.”

“The Rates Control Team were elected on a manifesto policy promises to leave the group - which has conveniently been scrubbed from their website. Ratepayers shouldn’t be forced to fund a lobby group that's often pushes for more spending and wanted to campaign against the proposed rates cap.”

“It’s deeply concerning that some councillors now appear more worried about protecting their own positions than delivering on commitments to reduce waste. That’s not what voters signed up for and LGNZ is not going to save these members from the upcoming local government reorganisation.”

“If councillors are confident in their decision to stay in LGNZ, they should be willing to front up and hear opposing views. Shutting down debate only strengthens the case that this membership doesn’t stack up.”

“We urge councillors to vote in the interests of ratepayers and fulfil their promise to pull out of LGNZ.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act requestthat $161,985.55 of taxpayer funding has been used to subsidise insulation upgrades in Summerset's privately-run Wanganui and Havelock North retirement villages.

The funding was provided through the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme, with payments made to contractors installing insulation in licence-to-occupy units within retirement villages.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“On paper this funding is designed to help vulnerable households, but in practice it sees taxpayer money flowing into private retirement village developers.”

“This is corporate welfare by another name. Residents may receive the benefit, but the long-term gains sit with a large private operator.”

“The end result is public money being used to improve assets owned by a company that reported $259.7 million in profit after tax last year, while retirees who genuinely need the support miss out on $160,000 of funding.”

“Our elderly deserve support in retirement, but a $9.2 billion company should be able to fund upgrades to its own units, especially when residents themselves don’t share in the upside.”

Moody’s has placed New Zealand’s credit rating on a negative outlook, underscoring growing concern about the Government’s worsening fiscal position.

Responding, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“Minister Willis is right to say this is another warning that New Zealand can’t afford to simply spend more and borrow more. The problem is that is exactly what she is still doing.”

“Minister Willis got her first warning on 21 March this year when Fitch moved New Zealand to a negative outlook. Since then, government debt has grown by almost $2 billion and the National Debt Clock is forecast to hit $300 billion before the election. Where is the fiscal discipline Minister Willis talks about?

“Blaming global uncertainty is a convenient distraction for Minister Willis. Moody’s is pointing at Wellington. Despite the rhetoric, Government spending remains higher than under Grant Robertson, borrowing continues to climb, and there is no sign of a surplus this decade.”

“Credit rating agencies do not act on vibes. They follow the numbers. Being placed on negative watch is a signal to investors that New Zealand is becoming a riskier place to lend to, which ultimately means higher interest costs for taxpayers.”

“Clinging to the AAA rating while being put on negative watch is like celebrating while the warning lights are flashing. If this is what fiscal discipline looks like, it is no wonder Moody’s is losing confidence.”

“This must be a wake-up call ahead of Budget 2026. Until the Government matches its rhetoric with real spending restraint, more warnings, and eventually a downgrade, are inevitable.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling for the Governor-General and Government House to be brought under the Official Information Act. Currently, the office is excluded from both section 2 of the OIA and Schedule 1 of the Ombudsmen Act 1975.

This follows an Official Information Act request where officials confirmed that information held by Government House, including the costs and purpose of domestic travel, is not subject to the Act.

Taxpayers' Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley said:

“In Canada you can request information from the Governor-General. In Australia you can request information from the Governor-General. Even in the United Kingdom, the Royal Household has a policy of providing information as freely as possible.”

“In New Zealand, however, the Governor-General sits behind a carve-out in our legislation. Every Minister appointed to Government can be held to account under the Act - so why not the person appointing them?”

“Minister Paul Goldsmith is currently reviewing the Act with a focus on cost, but the real issue is transparency. You cannot put a price on democracy.”

“This review is the perfect opportunity to fix the real issue in our information laws. Bring the Governor-General under the Act, bring Parliament under the Act, and stop taxpayer-funded bodies hiding from the people who fund them.”

Responding to calls in The Post by Labour MP Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall that there have been “thousands of public service job losses", Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Where on earth is Dr Verrall getting these numbers from? The Public Service Commission’s own data shows there are still more bureaucrats now than when Labour left office.”

“There were 63,117 public servants in 2023 compared to 63,657 at the end of 2025. That’s 540 more staff than when Labour was in charge - not fewer.”

“The truth is the public service is still larger than it was, and it’s not the cause of Wellington’s decline - that lies with the COVID hangover from work-from-home policies.”

“The idea of mass layoffs across the bureaucracy is simply a myth. If Labour really wants to back Wellington, they should support getting public servants off the couch and back into the office.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request that Selwyn District Council is spending $27,186 a year on media monitoring.

The service, provided by STREEM, tracks mentions of the council across print, online news, television, radio, podcasts, and social media to improve “media visibility” and reporting to councillors about coverage.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Following a 38.96 percent rates hike last term, Selwyn Council apparently needs a further $27,000 subscription to see what people are saying about it.”

“Councils will argue this is a valuable information gathering tool for spotting issues, but when they start spending ratepayer money monitoring criticism rather than fixing the issues behind it, priorities have clearly gone wrong - especially when cheaper options are available.”

“Councils should be focused on roads, pipes, and rubbish, not paying for software that effectively lets them watch themselves in the news.”

“If Selwyn and other councils want fewer negative headlines about rate hikes, the solution isn’t better monitoring software but better spending decisions. Our 103 Ways to Cut Council Waste report has plenty of ideas on where to start.”

Our 103 Ways For Councils To Save Money report can be found here 

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming massive pay rises for Fire and Emergency New Zealand board members, saying it highlights the urgent need for the long-promised review into the agency following its troubled merger.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Handing out pay rises of up to 79% to board members while frontline firefighters remain locked in an industrial dispute is a terrible look and raises serious questions about priorities.”

“Taxpayers are being levied to fund an organisation where trucks are rusting, frontline and volunteer staff are under pressure, and yet those at the top are being rewarded with massive pay increases.”

“This is exactly why the Taxpayers’ Union has been calling for a full, independent review into FENZ. From failing equipment to poor management, the warning signs have been there for years.”

“The Government promised a review into FENZ’s performance back in 2016, now it’s time to deliver. Until then, throwing more money at the top risks rewarding failure rather than fixing it.”