Responding to Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop’s claims that Wellington councils have been shifting unrelated debt onto the region’s new water entity, Tiaki Wai, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman James Ross called on councils to release the two reports council commissioned into the debt transfer.

“When even DIA are saying Tiaki Wai has been burdened with debt levels ‘significantly higher than the amount of money council borrowed for three waters’, ratepayers can smell a rat.”

“If debt has been improperly shifted to Tiaki Wai, that’s not just an accounting trick. It means higher water bills for residents, while giving councils more leeway to spend on the credit card.”

“Council Rich Listers say Bishop’s claim isn’t true, yet central government officials agree with the Minister. We say enough of the he-said-she-said. Release the two reports - unredacted -  and let ratepayers judge for themselves.”

The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance has today launched the Wellington City Council Rich List, exposing 35 Council figures paid more than $200,000, including 34 Council staff paid more than Mayor Andrew Little.

The Rich List, available at WellingtonRichList.nz, shows Town Clerk Matt Prosser is paid $531,616, while five Chief Officers are listed at salary-band midpoints of $440,000. Mayor Andrew Little is paid $201,947 and sits dead last.

Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman James Ross said:

“At the same time households are being hammered with a 47 percent rates increase over the last three years, and face another hike this year, Wellingtonians might be surprised to learn there are 34 Council staff paid more than the person they elected to lead the city.”

“These 35 officials alone are costing ratepayers around $9.3 million a year. That is the equivalent of the entire annual rates bill of roughly 1,800 average Wellington households, just to cover this slice of the Council payroll.”

“Wellington has the second-highest average residential rates in the country, the highest commercial rates, and ratepayers are being asked to cough up even more. Yet somehow there is always room in the budget for a bigger, richer bureaucracy.”

“No one is saying councils do not need capable staff. But when officials are being paid more than Ministers of the Crown, more than the Mayor, and in one case more than the Prime Minister, ratepayers deserve to know who they are, what they are being paid, and whether they are getting value for money.”

“Wellingtonians can now see the list for themselves at WellingtonRichList.nz. The question for councillors is simple: are ratepayers getting results that match the payroll?”

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The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance has today launched the Wellington City Council Rich List, exposing 35 Council figures paid more than $200,000, including 34 Council staff paid more than Mayor Andrew Little.

The Rich List, available at WellingtonRichList.nz, shows Town Clerk Matt Prosser is paid $531,616, while five Chief Officers are listed at salary-band midpoints of $440,000. Mayor Andrew Little is paid $201,947 and sits dead last.

Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman James Ross said:

“At the same time households are being hammered with a 47 percent rates increase over the last three years, and face another hike this year, Wellingtonians might be surprised to learn there are 34 Council staff paid more than the person they elected to lead the city.”

“These 35 officials alone are costing ratepayers around $9.3 million a year. That is the equivalent of the entire annual rates bill of roughly 1,800 average Wellington households, just to cover this slice of the Council payroll.”

“Wellington has the second-highest average residential rates in the country, the highest commercial rates, and ratepayers are being asked to cough up even more. Yet somehow there is always room in the budget for a bigger, richer bureaucracy.”

“No one is saying councils do not need capable staff. But when officials are being paid more than Ministers of the Crown, more than the Mayor, and in one case more than the Prime Minister, ratepayers deserve to know who they are, what they are being paid, and whether they are getting value for money.”

“Wellingtonians can now see the list for themselves at WellingtonRichList.nz. The question for councillors is simple: are ratepayers getting results that match the payroll?”

The forecast cost to install water meters across the Wellington metro has more than tripled since 2020, rising from $144 million to $590 million according to Tiaki Wai. That equates to $4,041 for each of the 146,000 meters being installed.

Responding, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman James Ross said:

“Why are Wellington councils completely incapable of keeping major capital projects on budget? Four thousand dollars per household to install a water meter is nowhere close to acceptable.”

“Auckland’s Watercare is replacing meters for $450 each, nine times cheaper than those in the Wellington region.”

“Ratepayers are sick to the back teeth of councils’ continued failure to manage water infrastructure properly and at a reasonable cost. What was the point of replacing Wellington Water if the new entity is already repeating all the same management failures?”

The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance is alarmed by reports that Wellington City Council Chief Executive Matt Prosser is working to undermine the democratic mandate of Mayor Andrew Little and Councillors.

Spokesman for the Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance James Ross said:

“While we question the financial wisdom of insourcing cleaning services, we respect the democratic mandate with which Mayor Little and Councillors have made the decision to consider the option.”

“The Chief Executive has no business telling the democratically elected Mayor and Councillors what policy decisions they can and can’t make.”

“The line between governance and management is too often weaponised by recalcitrant officers who are pushing their own barrow.”

“But ultimately it is up to the Mayor and the Councillors to decide where that line should be drawn.”

Responding to Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter’s opinion in Saturday’s The Post, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, James Ross, said:

“Julie Anne Genter misses the target. Using private companies to manage infrastructure is often a perfectly sound decision. For example, does Ms Genter believe Wellington airport should be 100 percent owned and operated by the council?”

“Wellington Water’s problem is poor governance and lack of accountability, clearly demonstrated by its inadequate contract management practices. The lack of effective oversight or disciplined management practices meant the environmental and financial disaster facing Wellington ratepayers was always likely to happen.”

“The dysfunction at Wellington Water mirrors the chaos in its major parent organisation: Wellington City Council. Whether it’s Moa Point or the Town Hall reconstruction, neither organisation seems capable of managing major capital works.”

“Blaming private operators for the failure is a soft and easy option. What is needed is a root cause analysis that rigorously examines the contracting model, governance structures, and lines of accountability. We expect the government inquiry to pull no punches.”

Responding to today’s reporting that Wellington Water is now refusing to answer any further questions about the state of the failed Moa Point sewerage plant, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson James Ross said:

“This position is totally unacceptable. Ratepayers deserve answers as soon as Wellington Water has them.”

“Hiding behind a yet to be completed inquiry shows an unwillingness to provide full and frank information to the public that they have so badly let down. It smacks of an unwillingness to be accountable to the people they serve. But this should come as no surprise as Wellington Water has a long track record of contract and financial mismanagement that it has been unwilling to address.”

“The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance calls on the mayors of the region to yank on Wellington Water’s chain and bring them to heel. Providing full and frank information, as soon as it comes to hand, is a requirement for an environmental and public disaster of this magnitude. As Mayor Little is completely blameless in this fiasco, we call on him to take the lead in pulling Wellington Water into line.”

Wellington ratepayers will have their rates bills hiked to cover a $3.43 million budgeting error. Responding to this, Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson James Ross said that “the incompetence at Wellington City Council is beyond belief.”

“On top of all the budgeting and contract management blunders unearthed by the recent Deloitte report, turns out Wellington City Council can’t even get people’s rates bills right. Does the council exercise any financial controls at all?”

“Council made the error, Council should wear it, and this is not an excuse to bilk ratepayers. There’s plenty of room for them to make savings before coming back to turn the ratepayer tap back back on.”

“The critical question is who is being held accountable? Apologies are cheap, and Mayor Andrew Little needs to take the opportunity to instil some consequences for failure into the culture at Wellington City Council.”