Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Local Government Campaigns Manager Sam Warren said:

“There’s no doubt at all we need rates cap, but clearly we can’t afford to wait for another year of double-digit rates hikes.”

“Months and years of dysfunction have come to a crescendo. It’s a crushing decision while locals continue to suffer the heavy cost of poor decisions and planning by out-of-touch councillors.”

“$2.3 million on a light-up toilet block, hundreds of millions on cycleways and the not-so-Golden Mile, and a $563,000 bike rack outside the Mayor’s office have lead to rates soaring 47 percent in just three years.”

“There’s a good reason Tory Whanau received a ‘Lifetime Achievement in Waste’ Award at the annual Taxpayers’ Union Jonesie Awards earlier this year, and at this rate she’s on for a second one.”

“Wellington City Council cannot bring itself to prioritise ratepayers. It’s time to change the law now and force their hand.”

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.”

Damning results from Wellington's annual survey has been released show major declines in trust and confidence in how the City is being run.

“Alarm bells should be ringing. What has long been suspected has now been confirmed: Wellington residents have lost faith in Council.” said Sam Warren, Local Government Campaigns Manager for the Taxpayers’ Union.

“Concerns have been raised over Council spending and lack of priorities. And, off the back of successive rate hikes, not one councillor can act surprised by the results. A rethink is desperately needed on how the City is being managed.”

“Delays and secrecy surrounding the survey’s full release also needs to be scrutinised. Councillors should have had access to this months ago, which would have better guided the City's Long-Term Plan.”

“Wellington doesn’t trust its own Council, and why should they? The last year alone has been a basket case of chaos and fingers-in-ears, as unpopular policies are rammed through extraordinary cost to ratepayers."

“Wellington is fast-becoming unliveable. It's a prime example of why rates capping is needed, so as to make the city more affordable, and keep Council focused on the basics.”

In order to protect local business, commercial rates must be cut, the Taxpayers’ Union says in response to new reports that Wellington businesses are being hit with rates nearly twice as high as other cities.

“Wellington’s rating system is anti-growth, anti-business, and out of step with the rest of the country,” says spokesperson Tory Relf. “A small business here pays almost double what Aucklanders do. It’s a disgrace. ”

“The Council charges businesses nearly four times the rate of residents. This extraordinary differential is a deliberate attempt to mask how high the overall rates burden has become in order to cover wasteful Council spending.”

“This isn’t fairness, it’s daylight robbery. Other cities support business while Wellington bleeds it dry and the result is empty shops, lost jobs, and a dying city centre.”

Officials advised lowering the rate differential last year yet Councillors refused.

“Even their own staff warned them. But they doubled down on failure,” Relf said.

“Anyone who walks around the city centre can see the effect this is having. If the Council wants to revive Wellington, it must stop treating businesses like the enemy. Cut the rates now, before it’s too late.”

A mega-merger between Wellington councils is being considered for a non-binding referendum that would combine the services and functions for the five authorities.

“Remember that big council doesn’t mean good council. What we got in Auckland was a cautionary tale; more bureaucracy and empire-building.” said Sam Warren, Local Government Campaigns manager for the Taxpayers’ Union.

“Closer collaboration between neighbouring councils to share costs and service delivery, in order to reduce the burden on ratepayer per capita, is always to be encouraged. Economies of scale is no promise—would this be the exception?”

“Work done by the Infrastructure Commission points towards diminishing returns once a population meets a certain threshold, suggesting that efficiencies from amalgamation are likely captured at relatively modest scales."

“The five councils can barely function by themselves; do we just trust them to ‘make it work’ when they’re inflated even more?”

“If a referendum is to take place, it’s essential that locals are front and centre—the risks and drawbacks are too expensive to get this wrong.”

Responding to news that Wellington City Council is planning to buy the land under the currently earthquake-prone Reading cinema complex and re-strengthen the building, Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns Callum Purves said:

“The Reading Cinema may be a dead spot in the heart of the City Centre, but that doesn’t mean the Council needs to step in.“Just earlier this week we saw with Wellington’s Town Hall just how costly these earthquake-strengthening projects turn out to be. It’s just as likely that another massive budget blowout is on the cards with this proposal.

“If Reading International won’t take on the restrengthening itself, then the Council needs to accept that. Should a private buyer choose to purchase and redevelop the land in the future, the Council should ensure that the consenting process – including the demolition option – is as smooth as possible, but that’s all it needs to do.

“This is just another example corporate favouritism at the expense of the ratepayer. Wellington residents are already facing a double-digit rate increase this year. A project of this magnitude will only guarantee further rate hikes and continue to burden Wellingtonians."

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that a Wellington City Council party, just weeks prior to the local body elections, to celebrate the signing of its new “sister city” agreement with Canberra, cost Wellington City ratepayers more than $51,000. The total cost included $14,850 spent on fashion models, ballet dancers and “contemporary performers” with $30,079.38 on “production costs” at the Public Trust Building to turn it into a party venue.

Whilst Wellington City Council blows tens of thousands on showy parties with dancers, drag-queens and DJs, ratepayers have been struck with annual rates increases of over 5% per year. Who on earth approved a two-hour shin-dig for 131 people, where the venue alone cost $30,000?

The Council says that sister city agreements bring economic opportunities to Wellington, but the vast majority of the guest list were those from the public sector.  It seems it was more about a lavish farewell party for the Mayor, rather than anything to do with promoting Wellington to Canberra.

If the Council genuinely wanted to promote economic growth in Wellington, it would learn to tighten its belt and cut out glitzy junkets like these. It defies belief that Councilors were not aware of the staggering costs of this party before it was held. They refused to answer our questions about who precisely was responsible for this Hollywood-style party on the ratepayer.

If you weren’t invited to the Sister City party, but paid for it, check out the highlight video of the evening below. You can also real the Council's response to the Taxpayers' Union request for official information here.