When the end goal is privatisation, look at the 'Why?"
Regional Councils own or manage huge assets, like Foundations, Ports, and Land. Now, how does Central Government get to sell these assets to their friends? The new Boards are cash strapped with rate caps, so they sell assets... nefarious plan.. always "follow the money" with Luxo and friends.
Together you've laid it all out, Patricia and Nick, in yet another excellent Korero....and by the way I had forgotten about the Paul Kelly song "Dumb Things" as well...raises my own heartfelt regrets that song...!
Any move that delights the TaxPayer’s Union must be really bad for most citizens. The goal must be a future privatisation when councils ‘fall over’ with impossible budgets. By the by, has there EVER been a less inspiring Minister than Simon What’s?
There's the other things : Auckland Council is an accredited Living Wage employer, as are Wellington City Council, Christchurch City Council, Dunedin City Council, Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Kāpiti Coast District Council, and Environment Canterbury. That's $5.45 p.h better than minimum wage - and it applies to contracted out workers ; street and office cleaners for example. $200 a week if you get 40 hours. Is that "dumb stuff" or "nice to have?" Mister Luxon? I've seen a few comments from ppl who think it's all to do with out of control salaries for mayors and councillors. Good to remind them that their salaries are set by the Remuneration Authority, like MPs and Judges and completely independently. There are probably some over the top spending in things like the Ak Council CEO's pay of over $600k which is symptomatic of a larger problem of CEO fat cat pay and way more than the Mayor is paid. But for me it's about place making. The kids playing baseball down the road at a Ranui Park, the lovely library, the remediation of the Anniversary flood that Council is responsible still, the various projects local organise through their Local Boards, the clean and wa goinng on, the water that comes out of the tap from our magnificent ranges and dams, the tradies who are here in a second if there is a pipe burst, the smelly clean out our septic tank people who come once a year funded through our rates, the rubbish guys who are regular and I know are paid eat least Living Wage, the public toilet and street cleaners, the clean footpaths, the little local halls, the community spaces where people are fed. And the buses that now come up and down our road. I could go on.
That National has no regard for local democracy was vividly illustrated in Canterbury when they took over ECAN so as to steal and pollute our water for the benefit of dairy farm owners. Oh, and dairy company owners. Looking at you, Ruth Richardson.
Makes me think this NACT1st-And-Repent-Later/Got In By The Skin of Their Teeth government has been hell-bent on doing as much damage to Aotearoa's Socialist Democracy as they can do in just one term.....knowing full well that they will not get in again until the next Labour-led govt has managed to bandage over some of the mess this lot have made....it would certainly fit Lugubrious Luxon's tolerance of Seymour the Smirk's extremist tactics....??! Sorry, but one has to be a bit of a "Political Conspiracy" thinker after this latest CoC gambit....
I have become heartbroken & very angry (didn’t know you can be both at same time 🤔) as this CoC continues to slash & burn their way thru our communities.
I started to follow luxon & Seymour & comment on posts on FB this year which has caused one of our families to cut all contact with us.
We have been family for 20yrs 😢. I am heartbroken 💔.
Really sad that this type of politics has been imported into NZ & that we ‘take sides’ instead of supporting one another as we used to despite our flavour of politics.
Yet another completely nonsensical decision by this bunch of twats and of course there are plenty who will be fooled by this into voting for them - but all they want is to strip the power away from local councils so that central government can control their huge assets!
Somewhere in my dreams I see a team in the Opposition parties drafting a vast Bill repealing the various madnesses of the previous three years to be introduced before the House rises for Christmas 2026 ....
Throw your hat into the electoral ring, John and help make it true🙂 I’m sure you’d do very well with ideas like this. I’m also sure there’s a good number of Korero readers who would back you!
It's not as if a National-led government hasn't interested in local government before (Cough,cough Environment Canterbury). I can see them just closing down councils and appointing government city controllers.
What will people vote. People know that climate must be dealt with by - someone else. Health and essential infrastructure must be funded but not form the taxes who can pay big fees to their lawyers and accountants for successful “Avoidances”. Teachers doctors and nurses should be paid and employed but not by our taxes rising. Farmers should be assisted to get full value. But when there are international prices go up would not think of reducing peoples cost of food burden at home. The CEO to get back to the right track but his history book has been discredited and withdrawn. So where the track starts or ends no one can find.
I assume this is motivated by control and not compassion. If it were the latter and the government really cared about struggling ratepayers, they could always remove GST on rates. I'm not holding my breath!
I hadn't realised life insurance had increased until I saw the amount deducted for automatic payment. Yikes, is it really worth it - only in case of a big unexpected operation. I think the capping of rates is a very unpopular move for the government - all people I know are talking about it.
Health Insurance is affordable until about the time you probably need it. Then you get priced out. Take that premium, put it in an interest earning account/investment that is accessible and you'll likely be better off with compounding working for you, esp if start younger.
Then consider they are not interested if you get anything chronic, or if something goes wrong with your private treatment—that requires chronic/critical/intensive level care—you'll be swiftly dumped into the Public System anyway.
Unfortunately I've left it too late at 81 - not enough time to build up in case I need a heart operation. I have an operation only policy but still very expensive. I have a $2000 excess which I have to spend to get eye treatment.
I have deliberately avoided all the information on this one, so excuse me if this has been addressed while I had my fingers stuck in my ears shouting "La la la la, I can't hear you"
There doesn't seem to be any link to rate increase to population - only to GDP growth - surely councils provide services to people, not to the economy/GDP.
Now, if the population doubled in a council area, I wouldn't expect the cost to provide those services to double, but it certainly would cost the council more. Given, as Bernard Hickey often says, both main parties have used almost unrestrained population growth to drive the economy, then I don't expect they will suddenly start restricting immigration significantly. So, populations will grow and councils should be able to increase rates to provide the service. I guess they should also allow more properties to be built to house those people, which will increase the amount they get from rates, but they really need that money upfront, not once the extra people are here
Thanks Martin. Not sure if the following is useful, but Councils can impose development contributions on developers to meet the additional marginal cost their development imposes on Council amenities such as transport, drains, sewage, libraries, playing fields, etc. On Auckland that's around $48k per dwelling, depending on where it is. For a multi-dwelling development that's tens of millions of dollars - all of which are ultimately paid by the 1st owner of the properties. With rates caps these are the sort of costs that be hiked up, making housing less affordable.
That is useful - and hopefully that remains, and is immune from any capping action by government - and hopefully, councils start using it to its fullest extent to help pay for infrastructure, although we do also need new house to be built, so it is a real balancing act
It’s just another version of the previous election promise of tax cuts for everyone.
Unfortunately there are an element of ratepayers who see capping and the removal of the regional councils as a good thing, and that their rates will decrease.
FFS, who is going to pay for the stuff we all take for granted?
It will all turn to shit, and then those same people will be complaining that the public rubbish bins haven’t been emptied (or insert any other council action).
The problem according to those that support rates caps, and removal of regional councils is that apparently they have too many overpaid staff. Yeah… ok… it’s that simple, huh?
When the end goal is privatisation, look at the 'Why?"
Regional Councils own or manage huge assets, like Foundations, Ports, and Land. Now, how does Central Government get to sell these assets to their friends? The new Boards are cash strapped with rate caps, so they sell assets... nefarious plan.. always "follow the money" with Luxo and friends.
You're exactly right, that's the ultimate objective of these controls.
Thanks Nick, and for those interested, 8 days 'till my x-rays and I get a moon boot. No nerve pain. So lucky.
Together you've laid it all out, Patricia and Nick, in yet another excellent Korero....and by the way I had forgotten about the Paul Kelly song "Dumb Things" as well...raises my own heartfelt regrets that song...!
Oh yeah gotta look after those shareholders.
💯✔️That is the objective...
Any move that delights the TaxPayer’s Union must be really bad for most citizens. The goal must be a future privatisation when councils ‘fall over’ with impossible budgets. By the by, has there EVER been a less inspiring Minister than Simon What’s?
Yes Simon What's is most uninspiring but not good as Climate Change Minister.
Taking the 'Local' out of Local Govt Minister, and undoing anything positive as Climate Minister. Watt's he working for?
Or Matt Doocey
He's an Israeli lover as well total waste of space.
Short answer "No."
There's the other things : Auckland Council is an accredited Living Wage employer, as are Wellington City Council, Christchurch City Council, Dunedin City Council, Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Kāpiti Coast District Council, and Environment Canterbury. That's $5.45 p.h better than minimum wage - and it applies to contracted out workers ; street and office cleaners for example. $200 a week if you get 40 hours. Is that "dumb stuff" or "nice to have?" Mister Luxon? I've seen a few comments from ppl who think it's all to do with out of control salaries for mayors and councillors. Good to remind them that their salaries are set by the Remuneration Authority, like MPs and Judges and completely independently. There are probably some over the top spending in things like the Ak Council CEO's pay of over $600k which is symptomatic of a larger problem of CEO fat cat pay and way more than the Mayor is paid. But for me it's about place making. The kids playing baseball down the road at a Ranui Park, the lovely library, the remediation of the Anniversary flood that Council is responsible still, the various projects local organise through their Local Boards, the clean and wa goinng on, the water that comes out of the tap from our magnificent ranges and dams, the tradies who are here in a second if there is a pipe burst, the smelly clean out our septic tank people who come once a year funded through our rates, the rubbish guys who are regular and I know are paid eat least Living Wage, the public toilet and street cleaners, the clean footpaths, the little local halls, the community spaces where people are fed. And the buses that now come up and down our road. I could go on.
Brilliant revealingly humane post, Darien...reading it brought a tear to my eye...
That National has no regard for local democracy was vividly illustrated in Canterbury when they took over ECAN so as to steal and pollute our water for the benefit of dairy farm owners. Oh, and dairy company owners. Looking at you, Ruth Richardson.
It's almost as if Luxon doesnt want a second term in govt ...
Makes me think this NACT1st-And-Repent-Later/Got In By The Skin of Their Teeth government has been hell-bent on doing as much damage to Aotearoa's Socialist Democracy as they can do in just one term.....knowing full well that they will not get in again until the next Labour-led govt has managed to bandage over some of the mess this lot have made....it would certainly fit Lugubrious Luxon's tolerance of Seymour the Smirk's extremist tactics....??! Sorry, but one has to be a bit of a "Political Conspiracy" thinker after this latest CoC gambit....
I have become heartbroken & very angry (didn’t know you can be both at same time 🤔) as this CoC continues to slash & burn their way thru our communities.
I started to follow luxon & Seymour & comment on posts on FB this year which has caused one of our families to cut all contact with us.
We have been family for 20yrs 😢. I am heartbroken 💔.
Really sad that this type of politics has been imported into NZ & that we ‘take sides’ instead of supporting one another as we used to despite our flavour of politics.
Adding to the unbelievable nonsensical things that are happening all around the globe..
One despairs sometimes....too often....
Yet another completely nonsensical decision by this bunch of twats and of course there are plenty who will be fooled by this into voting for them - but all they want is to strip the power away from local councils so that central government can control their huge assets!
Exactly.
IN ORDER TO SELL THEM OFF AND DESTROY DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES FOR GOOD....perhaps????
Somewhere in my dreams I see a team in the Opposition parties drafting a vast Bill repealing the various madnesses of the previous three years to be introduced before the House rises for Christmas 2026 ....
I like your thinking.
Thanks mate, I just wish it were true.
Throw your hat into the electoral ring, John and help make it true🙂 I’m sure you’d do very well with ideas like this. I’m also sure there’s a good number of Korero readers who would back you!
Thanks Jeremy!
In my reality, I see the other major party getting ready to tinker... :( Time for a more radical change.
It's not as if a National-led government hasn't interested in local government before (Cough,cough Environment Canterbury). I can see them just closing down councils and appointing government city controllers.
What will people vote. People know that climate must be dealt with by - someone else. Health and essential infrastructure must be funded but not form the taxes who can pay big fees to their lawyers and accountants for successful “Avoidances”. Teachers doctors and nurses should be paid and employed but not by our taxes rising. Farmers should be assisted to get full value. But when there are international prices go up would not think of reducing peoples cost of food burden at home. The CEO to get back to the right track but his history book has been discredited and withdrawn. So where the track starts or ends no one can find.
Give me effing strength....
I assume this is motivated by control and not compassion. If it were the latter and the government really cared about struggling ratepayers, they could always remove GST on rates. I'm not holding my breath!
I hadn't realised life insurance had increased until I saw the amount deducted for automatic payment. Yikes, is it really worth it - only in case of a big unexpected operation. I think the capping of rates is a very unpopular move for the government - all people I know are talking about it.
Health Insurance is affordable until about the time you probably need it. Then you get priced out. Take that premium, put it in an interest earning account/investment that is accessible and you'll likely be better off with compounding working for you, esp if start younger.
Then consider they are not interested if you get anything chronic, or if something goes wrong with your private treatment—that requires chronic/critical/intensive level care—you'll be swiftly dumped into the Public System anyway.
Unfortunately I've left it too late at 81 - not enough time to build up in case I need a heart operation. I have an operation only policy but still very expensive. I have a $2000 excess which I have to spend to get eye treatment.
I have deliberately avoided all the information on this one, so excuse me if this has been addressed while I had my fingers stuck in my ears shouting "La la la la, I can't hear you"
There doesn't seem to be any link to rate increase to population - only to GDP growth - surely councils provide services to people, not to the economy/GDP.
Now, if the population doubled in a council area, I wouldn't expect the cost to provide those services to double, but it certainly would cost the council more. Given, as Bernard Hickey often says, both main parties have used almost unrestrained population growth to drive the economy, then I don't expect they will suddenly start restricting immigration significantly. So, populations will grow and councils should be able to increase rates to provide the service. I guess they should also allow more properties to be built to house those people, which will increase the amount they get from rates, but they really need that money upfront, not once the extra people are here
Anyone got any useful thoughts on this?
Thanks Martin. Not sure if the following is useful, but Councils can impose development contributions on developers to meet the additional marginal cost their development imposes on Council amenities such as transport, drains, sewage, libraries, playing fields, etc. On Auckland that's around $48k per dwelling, depending on where it is. For a multi-dwelling development that's tens of millions of dollars - all of which are ultimately paid by the 1st owner of the properties. With rates caps these are the sort of costs that be hiked up, making housing less affordable.
That is useful - and hopefully that remains, and is immune from any capping action by government - and hopefully, councils start using it to its fullest extent to help pay for infrastructure, although we do also need new house to be built, so it is a real balancing act
It’s just another version of the previous election promise of tax cuts for everyone.
Unfortunately there are an element of ratepayers who see capping and the removal of the regional councils as a good thing, and that their rates will decrease.
FFS, who is going to pay for the stuff we all take for granted?
It will all turn to shit, and then those same people will be complaining that the public rubbish bins haven’t been emptied (or insert any other council action).
The problem according to those that support rates caps, and removal of regional councils is that apparently they have too many overpaid staff. Yeah… ok… it’s that simple, huh?