Responding to reports today that Minister Brooke van Velden is very dissatisfied with the way the Department of Internal Affairs discharged its governance role over Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said:

"Since Fire and Emergency New Zealand was formed in 2017, we have written three reports exposing excessive costs and governance failures, and repeatedly submitted against levy hikes. In our last submission, we even warned that Fire and Emergency was relying on out-of-date information — exactly what the Minister has now discovered."

“Our last report was titled Up in Smoke: Is There a Failure of Governance by the Board of Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the Department of Internal Affairs? We have argued for a comprehensive review of Fire and Emergency since its creation in 2017. Perhaps Minister van Velden might now agree."

“This is yet another example of institutional slackness in the public sector. Taxpayers are left footing the bill for waste, weak oversight, and a lack of accountability."

“It is well past time for the Government to take control of the public service and start demanding performance.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the appointment of Mr Raveen Jaduram as Chair of Fire and Emergency New Zealand, saying his infrastructure experience is exactly what FENZ needs to get its capital planning and spending under control.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Tory Relf, said:

“Raveen Jaduram has spent more than three decades managing major infrastructure, making sure public assets are properly planned, maintained, and delivered. That is precisely the background FENZ needs.”

“Minister van Velden has rightly put the focus on active governance of FENZ’s fire appliance investment, including a clear multi-year pipeline that matches operational need with affordability and value for money. Mr Jaduram’s infrastructure background should help bring the planning discipline, spending control, and accountability FENZ has been missing.”

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.”