The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Clifton Community Board today to reject a proposal to spend $113,850 ($99,000 plus GST) of ratepayer money on two “Welcome to Urenui” signs placed next to existing NZTA signage. This will be decided by the board during a vote at 4pm today.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, says:

"Ratepayers shouldn’t be spending more than $100,000 on signage that duplicates what’s already there. These signs are already in front of two existing NZTA town signs, meaning you get welcomed not once, not twice, but three times."

“Public money should be going into core council services, not vanity signage and arts funding disguised as relationship building.”

"Yet this time there’s still the chance for Clifton's locally elected members to do the right thing and vote no."

"There’s still time for Cliftons locally elected members to do the right thing for ratepayers; vote no to $113,850 vanity arts projects and yes to common sense.”

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request that Tauranga City Council has spent a total of $67,739 on decorative artwork for a single bus stop with $50,000 or 73.8 percent of the cost on design alone.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“This is another case of councils treating ratepayers like an open chequebook. Nearly $70,000 on a single piece of bus stop art is absurd.”

“You could buy a new car for what they spent on artwork at a bus stop. Worse still, most of it went on ‘design’ not materials, not installation, but presumably someone sketching it out at a desk.”

"All this comes the same week the Council also celebrated the opening of its brand-new $45 million headquarters, as residents brace for a 9.9 percent rates rise."  

“The pattern is clear: the culture of waste will continue until councils are forced to live within their means. We need Rates Capping Now!"

The Taxpayers' Union can reveal that Te Wharekura o Tauranga Moana is set to take staff to Tahiti this Friday and refuses to answer basic questions to justify the spend.

Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

"Earlier this week we received a tip off that Te Wharekura o Tauranga Moana is taking all its staff to Tahiti for a 'team building' and 'leadership' trip. The school has refused to engage with us, return calls, or answer questions. In fact, since our reaching out yesterday morning the school's phone has literally been off the hook."

“No wonder the Principal is hiding. This is taxpayer-funded tourism, not education.”

"Any justification that this is about team building is a fraud. This school is already a very tight knit community. In fact, it appears many of the teaching staff are actually in the same whanau."

"There is absolutely no excuse for using taxpayer money on an overseas island holiday for school staff.  School operational funds are meant for teaching kids and this is precisely the sort of spending the Auditor General has previously called out as unacceptable."

"There may be some justification for overseas professional development for principals, but that can't possibly extend to all school staff. This looks to be a rort and the fact the school literally won't pick up the phone now they know we are on to them is an 'up yours' to both taxpayers and Tamariki."

"Given the trip isn't for a few days, we call on the Minister of Education to intervene and pull the plug. Every dollar spent on these trips is a dollar not going to classrooms. If the Minister won’t act now, she’s endorsing waste.”

A Local Government Official Information Act request made by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union shows a new toilet block is budgeted to cost ratepayers $2.3 million, which includes costs for a light-up exterior and archaeological work.

Taxpayers’ Union Local Government Campaigns Manager Sam Warren said:

“How reckless can Wellington Council be? It's unjustifiable to throw this kind of money around, including for archaeological costs, while a record number of locals are being rated out of their own homes.”

"This build-at-all-costs approach needs to stop. On top of last year’s 16.9 percent rates increase and this year’s proposed 12.2 percent increase, we’re looking at a cumulative 31 increase to average rates in just two years.”

“It’s not hard to see why rates are soaring; Council has clearly lost focus. Toilet blocks don’t need a social license, nor a dig find—they need to be delivered well and affordably.”

“Until rates capping laws are introduced, councils across New Zealand will continue to flush this kind of money away. Not enough pressure exists to keep councils on-task and focused, providing only the basics well.”

The Taxpayers’ Union has revealed through an Official Information Act request that the Department of Conservation (DOC) has spent $411,875 on the endangered southern Powelliphanta augusta snails.

Following the collapse of Solid Energy, DOC took over responsibility for the captive snails, with additional habitat restoration projects now costing more than $1 million.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“These snails have been in captivity since 2006. DOC has killed over 800 by accident, yet they’re still planning to spend millions and another five years till they'll all be fully released.”

“There have been multiple proposals for this programme, but instead DOC has bred over 4,000 snails in fridges in Hokitika and is now figuring out how to slow the breeding down as facilities hit capacity.”

“Taxpayers aren’t opposed to conservation, but the lack of substance in this scheme shows the ridiculousness of the system. It drains DOC funding away from other species, is unaccountable, and refuses to acknowledge success.”

“This is conservation at its most expensive and least effective. It's time to take the snails out of the fridge and make the hard decisions on protecting our native species.”

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act response that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has lost or had stolen 280 taxpayer-funded iPhones and iPads over the last three financial years.

With 258 missing iPhones and 22 iPads, that is almost two devices going missing every single week. Based on MBIE’s estimates, the average replacement cost per device is $490, putting the bill at $137,200.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley said:

“You’d think the Ministry in charge of economic development might have a handle on keeping track of its own gear. Two lost iPhones a week is either shockingly poor management or a sign of a department that simply doesn’t care that taxpayers are footing the bill.”

“Worse still, these figures dont include lost laptops. They are the most expensive devices, so this $137,000 is just the tip of the growing iceberg.”

“These government agencies need stricter internal accountability for missing equipment, full transparency on the real cost of lost laptops, and clearer consequences for departments that treat public property like it's disposable.”

“While households across the country are cutting back, MBIE is running a revolving door for lost iPhones. Taxpayers deserve better.”

The latest Public Service Commission workforce data shows an uptick in public service employees since December 2024. As of 31 March 2025, there were 63,238 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the public service, reflecting a 0.4% increase from December 2024 and 15,987 more staff than the 47,251 reported in 2017.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“Today’s growth figures are alarming. This uptick in bureaucrats doesn’t mean better services, just more taxpayer money on an already bloated sector.”

“Time and time again, we’ve seen public service delivery getting worse, while unions cry foul at the thought of trimming backroom staff.”

“Bureaucratic bloat already saw a nearly 40% growth over the six years of the previous Labour government. Even with a slight decrease from the peak of 65,699 in December 2023, these numbers represent just a drop in the ocean.”

“Minister Willis cannot allow backroom staff numbers to continue rising when true efficiency hasn’t been achieved. It’s time for the Government to deliver on its promise of cutting wasteful spending by optimising the public service.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Department of Internal Affairs for wasting nearly $23 million of taxpayer money on a failed IT upgrade for the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry — a project that’s now been abandoned with nothing to show for it.

“Time and again, government departments dive headfirst into flashy IT projects, only to blow the budget, miss deadlines, and quietly pull the plug, with taxpayers left holding the bill,” said Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf.

“This isn’t just general bureaucratic waste, it’s a chronic failure in how the public service delivers IT,” Relf said. “Whether it’s Internal Affairs now or MFAT’s $33 million cloud project last year, the story is always the same: massive overspending, scope creep, no accountability, and zero results.”

"IT projects have become some of the worst offenders in the public sector when it comes to fiscal irresponsibility. Yet officials keep launching these bloated projects without the capability to manage them and taxpayers are forced to pick up the tab,” said Relf.

“Every time a department fails like this, they get a second chance — but taxpayers don’t get their money back. Writing off tens of millions and calling it a ‘lesson learned’ isn’t good enough. This cycle of failure must end.”

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act response that the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) received $157,000 from the Department of Conservation in the 2023/24 financial year to produce two reports at $560.71 per page.

This follows earlier revelations that payment to the EDS had been made of $377,743 from the Ministry for the Environment, totalling more than half a million dollars in total taxpayer funding to the group since 2023.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“It’s utterly unacceptable that the public are forced to bankroll lobbyists, especially those like the Environmental Defence Society which dedicate their resources to driving up costs to the taxpayer through expensive legal challenges at every turn.”

“DOC’s staff ballooned by 37 percent between 2017 and 2023, and even then they’ve been outsourcing research to activist groups. Why are taxpayers paying twice to get stuck with lobby groups’ own spin?”

“From environmental lobbyists to politically-aligned unions, these groups should have to prove they have widespread public support by raising their own funds rather than relying on handouts. This isn’t environmental stewardship - it’s taxpayer-funded political activism.”

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request that Rotorua Lakes Council—via its Council Controlled Organisation, RotoruaNZ—forked out $93,985 on a television campaign featuring Mayor Tania Tapsell.

The ‘Robe Trip’ campaign, targeting luxury-seeking Auckland couples, cost $42,784 to produce and a further $51,201 to broadcast.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“RotoruaNZ may claim no general rates were used in this production. Yet the targeted business rate means local business already struggling to keep doors open are forced to foot the bill.”

“The campaign was subject to no fewer than 15 rounds of meetings between the agency, Council board, and Mayor’s office.”

“For a city battling infrastructure issues and crime, the time and money spent on this puff piece shows how warped Council priorities have become."

“This campaign might be dressed in a robe, but it’s ratepayer exploitation, plain and simple. RotoruaNZ should be focusing on delivering value, not puff pieces for the Mayor’s profile.”