Councils Holding the Country to Ransom

[Perry]

They know that, that's why the sudden 'need' for councils to find new cows to milk, cha-ching!

http://www.interest.co.nz/property/69388/local-government-nz-launches-council-funding-review-says-property-rates-may-not-be-su

Yule referred to the challenges of funding expensive new infrastructure when councils also faced an ageing population where the burden of paying rates fell more on retirees who were asset rich but income poor. He also pointed to council areas south of Auckland who faced stable or falling populations.

Of course a sane person might question why a council with a stable or falling population need's to fund much in the way of expensive new infrastructure, but that would be silly.

Boy! You've got a cheek. Suggesting that Council's say 'no' to constituents.
Especially when that might erode empire-building options for them. How's
this for a headline?

Local Government NZ launches council spending review;
says present pay and conditions rates are not sustainable;
reducing staff, paying staff to use own cars instead of
flash new leased vehicles, reducing bureaucratic red tape,
reducing Councillor meeting allowances and other cost
savings among the alternatives mooted.

Why is that more revenue is always trumpeted first? Why can't cutting costs
get similar attention? Because - despite claims to the contrary - councils are
not businesses. They are a statute-backed, non-competitive, regulatory
function monopoly with captive payers and Draconian enforcement powers.

That's why.

[eri]

He also pointed to council areas south of Auckland who faced stable or falling populations.

Of course a sane person might question why a council with a stable or falling population need's to fund much in the way of expensive new infrastructure, but that would be silly.

i wonder if south of auckland with falling populations

means places like mercer, meremere + huntly?

i think south auckland probably has a booming population...

[elguapo]

I believe it means invercargill.

[Davo36]

Speaking of down south, here's the Dunedin City Council stopping another development:

Dunedin $100m waterfront hotel plans scrapped

[Wayne]

I like this bit
'The council treated these developers with care and understanding that's never been extended to any potential developer before.'
does that mean they don't usually treat developers care and understanding at all?

[eri]

the current generation of "hippy" planners + council, first treated developers as a "necessary evil"

then they treated them as a "necessary evil that could be heavily taxed to fund social programs"

but now it's slowly dawning on brown's team that developers are the only way out of the blind hole that the planners have lead us

and it's going to take 20 years of building to get affordable housing in auckland

[eri]

"To take a couple of examples, planning rules in Auckland require apartments to be at least 40 square metres," English said.

"And balconies are now required to be 8sqm. These two rules alone add around $80 per week to the rent."

Other rules included minimum subdivision size, ceiling height and even the minimum width of a front door, all adding to costs.

"Local body planners and councillors are not aware of the wider social and economic effects of their complex rules and processes."

"I think there's a bit too much of a mentality that a small group of people in a council know what everyone wants and needs.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/mone...prices-English

[Davo36]

Hear hear!

"I think there's a bit too much of a mentality that a small group of people in a council know what everyone wants and needs.

I've been banging on about this for some years, to everyone's chagrin, nice to hear someone else high up thinks the same way.

Not sure they'll easily change things though.

[elguapo]

"I think there's a bit too much of a mentality that a small group of people in a council know what everyone wants and needs.

Of course, that's why they apply for the job in the first place!

[mrsaneperson]

Anyone see the news tonight regarding the 27 storey waterfront hotel in Dunedin that has now being shelved? The developers spent 1M trying to battle the council to get a resource consent and failed.Its now being scrapped. The developers have blamed the Dunedin Council.

[flyernzl]

I suspect that a considerable part of their over-the-top control bias is a result of indoctrination received during their tertiary education.

[mrsaneperson]

I suspect that a considerable part of their over-the-top control bias is a result of indoctrination received during their tertiary education.

I'm not so sure about that .Often most of the radicals appear to be born late 50's early 60's.Examples:Anti smacking crusader Sue Bradford, Maori Activists, Dr Ranganui Walker, Donna Hall, Eddie Durie, Pita Sharples, Hone Harawira,Willie Jackson then leftists like Brian Edwards, Brian Rudman & virtually all NZ Herald columnists. Add drelly & speights boy to that list too..

[speights boy]

Add drelly to that list too..

Joesph Raymond McCarthy would be proud.
His Lavender Scare lives strong amongst the true believers.

[mrsaneperson]

You've made the list too even though you're mostly quoting something or someone rather than having the courage to state your opinion directly..lol..
Its not about Lavendar Scare anymore, i've always been against that; instead its now about farming, growing & marketing as much Lavendar as insanely possible.

[elguapo]

I suspect that a considerable part of their over-the-top control bias is a result of indoctrination received during their tertiary education.

Very much so. There have been surveys of the voting preferences of professors and lecturers in the US, the majority are left leaning. In Humanities/Social Science, that is even more pronounced, between 80-90% describing themselves as left voting. Your chance of surviving a journalism course with strong conservative views is not high.