The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling on Wellington City Council to reveal how many actual staff will lose their jobs in its latest restructure.

The Council’s supposed headline reduction of 47 roles is made up of:

• 94 new roles being created

• 141 roles being disestablished, of which 41 are already vacant.

This suggests a net reduction of only 6 roles, but Acting Chief Executive Anna Calver has claimed it will be more than this.

Alliance spokesman James Ross said:

“Council might have 47 fewer roles on paper, but the reality is much murkier. Once you strip out the 41 positions that are already vacant and account for the 94 new roles being created, the reduction could boil down to just single-figures.”

“Even accepting revised Deloitte estimates of 284 excess roles in Wellington City Council, this supposed right-sizing is a drop in the ocean. After years of bloat, Council is still falling hundreds of roles short of the number of cuts ratepayers need to see.”

“Council need to front up to ratepayers and tell them straight how many staff are being let go.”