The Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance is stunned to learn Tiāki Wai plans to spend $420,000 on an advertising campaign simply to tell people that Tiāki Wai exists.

Wellington Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, James Ross, says;

“Ratepayers don’t need a $420,000 marketing campaign. They need pipes fixed.”

“Tiaki Wai is a monopoly. Wellingtonians cannot choose another provider, so why the flash PR blitz? An agency spending hundreds of thousands promoting itself before it has delivered a single result is completely tone deaf.”

“Tiāki Wai needs to focus on infrastructure, accountability, and cost control instead of trying to sell ratepayers on higher bills. This kind of spending exposes exactly why Wellingtonians are nervous about the new water monopoly being just as bad as the last one.”

“Families are being warned to expect rising water charges, yet somehow there’s still money for advertising, communications staff, branding, and spin. With 84 percent of the current budget still yet to be spent, this campaign must be stopped before another cent is wasted.”