NZ Centre for Political Research

This week's poll asks:

How satisfied are you with your local council?

*The waste of money is despicable. Murray

*High handed approach to public opinion, unnecessarily grand ideas to be paid for by little old ladies on pensions. Ann

*Amalgamation has done nothing to improve efficiency - as evidenced by the increasing rates and new levies being imposed. Local government is not at all democratic as the people's opinion doesn't count for anything. There's no sign of austerity within Council - there's plenty of money for monuments to the mayor and "fun" projects which aren't necessary to the city's functioning. Fiona

*Since amalgamation it has been a shsmbles with Len determined to bankrupt the entire city. Noela

*The local Dunedin City Council is wanting to get 10000 new jobs and raise average income by $10000 per year by 2022. What a laugh!! The cant even give permission to the owner to demolish a clapped out building in South Dunedin. It is still there over a year later. The business owner has lost $20000 and 2 other businesses have had to shut down or relocate. The Mad Butcher spent 6 months getting permission to open a new store. They must be dreaming!! Colin

*Very dissatisfied in fact. The wrong people are voted onto Council. Many have no business experience and couldn't run a small business let alone a big one. They increasingly add more space to their buildings seemingly so they can secrete themselves away from the public. They waste money as if it is going out of fashion, on ever increasing reports etc. In the meantime the infrastructure deteriorates. B+H

*From the moment that bureaucrats were allowed to play being big corporates they simply could not stop squandering money on it all. They loved to have offices like a big corporation has. And budgets. And branding with real logos. And end-of-year parties. And calling their work being productive. Claiming to be creating a "service" rather than just doing their job. But is is all play and pretense, like children in a sandpit. Only difference is that the bureaucrats want a bigger and more luxurious sandpit every day, it seems. With an increasing play area for their mates. And like children, they have no idea (or pretend not to know) where the real money is coming from to pay for all that extra sand. But they certainly know how to constantly demand more and more sand from the politicians, who give in whenever the children become even a little too demanding. Probably because they too love playing in the sandpit. Let's close all those sandpits and chase the bureaucrats back to their real jobs. Where they can look after real issues like infrastructure. Within real time frames. And within real budgets without having to borrow. Jannes

*They do not listen to the rate payers and will go there own way regardless!! John

*Current FNDC (Far North)zoning plan allows Dog Boarding Kennels to 50 mtrs from neighbours boundies. Result is mayhem amd total loss oflifestyle peace. Council will NOT make a change. We cant sell because of noise and naturally the price of our property has reduced substantially. Kevin

*NEEDS TO FOCUS ON CORE ACTIVITIES ONLY. Brian

*Loopy Len should be spending rate payers money only on infrastructure and customer services. He should not be allowed to spend our money on Motor Racing, an unnecessary Underground Railway and regular Printed Mailouts that are tantamount to electioneering for himself at rate payers expense. Peter

*Our local ward rep does the best he can and is very responsive, but it ends there. Lens ivory tower must soon come tumbling down. It is known that to get the people to do what you want, first you must break them. So close, so close. Ray

This week's poll asks:

How satisfied are you with your local council?

*H.R.staff should publish annual lists of staff job descriptions and salary bands. Max

*Building permits and Resource consents cost far too much and deter upgrading and repairing work. Irene

*The council gets involvbed with issues that are UNRELATED to the supply services to ratepayers. They should stick to their core business. For them to reject a restriction on their activities that the Government wishes to enforce is once again beyond what they should be doing. John

*Very dissatisfied, the Mayor is an absolute nutter. Auckland is going to end up too expensive to exist in. Bruce

*It's a bit late to write about amalgamation when it is already here. We knew very little about the proposal before we were stuck with it. It seems fast tracking is the modern way of getting things done before anyone objects. Mary

*They spend money like water on things that Wanganui can not afford. They fail to look after the rate payer who payes for every thing. They need to have restrictions on expenditure. William

*The institution of a maori statutory authority is totally undemocratic. Frank

*Core services are being ignored in preference to highly expensive schemes which cater for fewer rate payers. This is where User Pays should come in! Sarah

*The local Govt ammendment act should be repealed. It is a nonsence. It is illegal thereunder for ratepayers to be consulted regarding projects for which they must pay. The community alone can be surveyed. This amorphous body stretches from Cape Rienga to the Bluff and even children can submit valid opinions. Councils almost all suffer an Edifice Complex. This disease is endemic handling as it does quantities of other people's money.Removal of the 2002 legislation will represent a return to sanity. Peter

*Tga council has decided to "cap" rates at ( from memory) 2% + CPI + growth!! I wish my salary was "capped" at that rate every year!!! Louis

*We have got to get rid of local government and replace it with service providers for each municipal function. But there must be no user charges. Money should be raised by commercial activity not compulsion. We must abolish rates. We must be told just who the faceless unemployables are who are responsible fora lot of municipal nazism. K

*But very unhappy with the Mayor, who seems to run the place solo. Norman

*My council seemed dead set on putting it's own name up in lights with huge sculptures and beautification projects. In times of financial hardship ratepayers should be asked for the money required for core services and necessary assets only. How is rubbish paid for by rates when it costs $2.50 to get one bag collected, and dog registration costs cover dog control operations, dumping rubbish at landfill costs require a mortgage before entering, late library book fines turns into $72 in a month on a child's account... the list could go on and on. It seems to me that most services are funded by user pays so rates are freed up to pay for the Councillor's pet projects. We don't need all the prissy extras and I object to having to trim my expenditure to the bare necessities while council demand more and more of my money to fund their whims and fancies. Claire

*But not with the attitude of staff and Councillors to reducing costs. Murray

*Binding referenda need to be mandatory for local councils. Monica

This week's poll asks:

How satisfied are you with your local council?

*Refuse to listen to ratepayers on specific issues related to local requirements. Marilyn

*With inflation around 1% why have my rates gone up 5%.I can NOT see any changes in the services provided, so what has made a 5% rates hike necessary? Empire building ? Or salary increases? Or ........? Maurice

*Making wrong judgements on matters should go to the people for their opinion. Terry

*Our local Council far exceeds what we would consider its mandate, they follow their own agenda behind a smokescreen of procedural moves. Gerhard

*Extremely poor decision making with an even worse understanding about priorities. Colin

*I am very dissatisfied with my local council (Waimakariri DC). They would rather build art centres/theatres than fix up unsafe bridges and roads. Public consultation is a total sham as the wishes of the population are just ignored. Mayor and councillors know best (sic). Peter

*Len Brown has gone completely MAD. He is using my rates for things that are just way beyond what I believe they are designed to provide. It is completely out of hand. Problem is that "people" just have not got the time and the inclination to actually do anything about it. Everyone is just too busy surviving. On line referenda for all ratepayers would give some of the decision making back to the people who are financing this current madness. Neil

*As a resident of Upper Hutt City I am reasoanbly satisfied with my local council - It is fairly prudent with expenditure and response to public opinion. What is wrong is the very concept of rates. It is an archaic system harking back to a time when only the more wealthy owned property. Not so these days. Rates as currently set bear absolutely no relation to services used or ability to pay, and should be replaced with a citizen's tax. Brian

*Here in Marlborough we are being absolutely robbed by the MDC. A New Theatre nobody wants (except a few artyfarts who are loaded with spare dollars and appear to be very influencial), no referendum allowed, a $14m upgrade of the swimming pool complex (very nice to have) in Blenheim, a tart up of a roundabout by the council offices ($60,000) totally unnecessary as it was OK as was, overstaffed bureaucracy, a parking building hardly getting any use (except by Council staff) and not needed in Blenheim. These councillors live on a different planet than the rest of us, and don't know how people have to budget to pay their rates. Wish the Govt would rush legislation thru to control these spendthrifts. Carolyn

*KCDC has no concern for ratepayers ability to pay. This is hardest for those with families and fixed incomes. They also commit to expenditure as though we are in boom times with their pet projects being pushed through Brian

*Decisions are being made without consultation with those who are having to pay i.e.the ratepayer. Rates are far too high and there is no sign of then reducing. Amalgamation is bad - when Auckland's North Shore had, I think, 5 local areas we were able to get action from people who intimately knew the area, with the North Shore amalgamation, rates spiralled upwards, the Council occupied an ivory tower that resulted in more remote access to the staff and this latest fiasco of a Super City (?) is resulting in yet more cost. Peter

*Auckland has been afflicted with a mayor hell bent on spending on matters which are not direct council business such as motor racing events and rail lines. The sewerage and drainage is amore critical issue in many parts of the city but maybe that won't bring him the glory he so obviously needs and desires. John

*Councils need to get themselves out of business ventures. They are reknowned for losing money very easily. Leave business to private enterprise. Councils have lost sight regarding what they should be about. We cant keep on with the current growth is rating levies. Its madness. They have become beyond reproach and as such quite arrogant and corrupt in their attitude, Their top heavy consultation processes relating to complaince on new development is stifling the economy. It's halting progress. Mayors driving huge projects to stroke their own egos. Schemes bordering on madness with underground trains planned in Auckland where the trains dont really go anywhere. Trains they hope other people can ride so they can drive their cars. Developments that will require millions in ongoing running costs all to be carried by the long suffering rate payers. V8 races at a cost to ratepayers. In our business we are still waiting to see the heralded benefits of the Rugby World Cup. That event cost rate payers and business owners alike. It may have been beneficial for the beer barons and street walkers and overseas owned hotel chains. Time for some accountability. Socialist Mayors with free reign with other peoples money. Bring on change and quickly. Have they looked out of their ivory towers in the city and seen the daily chaos with traffic at a stand still waiting to cross the bridge. Have they calculated the costs of this stalled go nowwhere traffic madness we are forced to bare. No sign of another harbour crossing. What happend to the esatern corridor. Living in some false hope that they will drive people out of their cars. Perhaps they are succeeding when you see yet another set of traffic lights being installed on Cavendish Drive Manukau. Lens Browns answer to tarffic issues summed up in two words. Traffic lights. How long are long suffering Auckland Lemming rate payers going to keep taking what our elected representatives keep dishing out. Surely the time of revolt is nigh. Edward

*We need a complete reapraisal of the way councils operate to get back to basics. Ian

*I live in Christchurch. We had a protest meeting, it was well attended but nothing changed. We are only living in NZ another 3 months, we are over Maori crap, Council crap and General crap European people are expected to ay for. The Earthquakes were and are horrible. We can cope with them but not this lying Government and any other lot that would replace them. Do you realize most people believe the Seabed and Foreshore is still in Crown ownership. We will be poorer in Aus losing 25% with exchange rate. It will still be better than living in a country we love but hate the way Councils and Governments run according to what Maoris demand. Chris

*Inflation 1%, rate rise 8%, am I missing something. Clive

*A seemingly self serving lot who spend money like water on white elephants. Roll on election time. Maggie

This week's poll asks:

How satisfied are you with your local council?

*It is time they forget their egostistical ideas and became more accountable for the rate payers money and how the low income residents can afford it. Judith

*Beuracratic insolence is rife. Ian

*Apalled at Auckland Council's continued profligate spending plans on non-core activities (V8 Races etc) funded by excessive debts and continuing rate increases which exceed rate of inflation and income increases. A real worry for those on fixed incomes.
When can we expect savings from Auckland Council's amalgamation? Craig

*Complaints too numerous to list, and too disheartening. Jennifer

*Kapiti District Council has even diverted from its core duties to the degree it has set up a welfare fund to grant refunds to supplement those that the Government provides to ther increasing numbers of ratepayers no longer able to pay their escalating rates bills. I wish Nick Smith was still minister his obstinacy which incurred my dislike in respect to his global warming views was an asset in his determination to reform local bodies. Baxter

*Dissatisfied (which I am) is too broad - there are many aspects that they are doing well but in the main they have become a bureaucratic organisation that believe their ideas are for the greater good and no not pay heed to the community what’s. The definition of their role has been left up to them and for their interpretation, this needs to be tightened so as they and the ratepayers have a clear understanding of responsibilities. Local councils and in particular their EDU are all too often entering in competition to the private sector ratepayers. Richard

*The Mayor is a glory seeker, we need another one!! Plus we are saddled with an unelected Maori Statuary Board at great expense. George

*Auckland City are giving too much money to support small groups of individuals and organisations rather than basic council items.
In my earlier days sports clubs had to raise funds for themselves and not rely on ratepayers for funds! Nigel

This week's poll asks:

How satisfied are you with your local council?

*Out of touch. Incompetent. Wasteful. Terry

*Len Brown is the latest in a long line of Mayors who think the ratepayers exist to fund their own over-priced, poorly considered, pet projects. Unfortunately Len seems to be totally unaware of the global economic crisis and just wants to burden Auckland with huge amounts of debt. Is he completely divorced from reality, or only mostly? Gary

*Despite all the calls for councils to stick to core services, their recent junket in Queenstown saw these out-of-touch over paid councillors vote against govt legislation which was designed to do just that. Do they really think we like to see our rates skyrocket every year so that they can organise a concert or open a museum??? And then there is the unelected (but paid) maoris giving their consultations. Personally I would like to see an end to local councils because they are out of control. Derejk

*Their fees and process around planning consents are farcial and almost corrupt with no form of appeal available. Roderick

*They ignore the ratepayers opinions! Con

*I left Auckland only to find myself dragged back into the hands of those morons! Andy

*Every new Mayor has indulged in his own 'pet' project, wasting millions of rate payers money on unneccessary and unwanted facilities, which are utilised by only a few. Each and every council throughout the country is guilty of such indulgence and none have ever listened to their ratepayers opinions. Unfortunately, the government's new council reform plans will do nothing to curb this reality. Jayne

*We voted for them. We can vote them out. Think before you vote! Malcolm

*HCC "invested circa $30m into the V8's, then sold the infrastructure assets for $1m without any apparent due consideration to the long term benefits to ratepayers of the $30m investment. Chris

*Far North District Council leaves a lot to be desired. Roger

*Everything they touch or get to control becomes dysfunctional, inefficient, unreasonable and horribly expensive. Lech

*They should stick to the basic works they were setup to maintain. Lee

*My report card on the Napier City Council would read:"Average performance - could do better, need to get their eyes off "wellbeing" projects and back solidly on core competencies". Naturally, being an avid NZCPD supporter, I'm a firm believer in small, focused, lean, efficient, non-socialist governance - at ALL levels of government. NZers have got so used to the socialists having their fingers in every imaginable pie, that they forgotten that said busy-body socialists have no business being there at all in the first place. Death to socialism and big government. Peter

*In some respects the WDC are good.Visible things such as footpaths and roads are repaired, but they just can't get away from their grand and expensive ideas. And they stick to the "we were elected to govern" and ""it will never be as cheap in the future as it will be to build now"" thinking. Never minding the debt they have incurred in our name. Interest rates may be low now, but will not stay that way. I have resided in Whangarei for 9 years now and in that time my rates bill has increased by about 2 and a half times.
I think that councilors should only be permitted to serve for a maximum of 2 terms. Get some new thinking on board. Binding referenda is the only way to go on contentious projects. Ron

This week's poll asks:

How satisfied are you with your local council?

*My council pays lip service to the concept of consutation only and ignores most opposing views. Ken

*Christchurch City Council is a law unto itself. It takes no notice of the requests of its citizens, paying lip service only to "consultation". Decisions are made behind closed doors and are acted on despite what residents think of those decisions. Those of us living here in already difficult times can only despair at what is to come. Kerry

*It is not just the councillors that are creating their domains but the council managers who think it is their town and we will all do what they want regardless of if the people want it or it is affordable. Joan

*Councils need to be kept to their basic knitting. That is core business only. Ian

*I'm farming 1 block of land and it just makes enough to pay its rates (I don't live there) No fertlizer any more. Another property has just had justunder a 300% increase and it has NO yes that right No council services, no roads, suerage, water, rubish collection, nothing, its on an Island. Boat parking is extra payed seperatly. I think Im going to get in my camper van or live in a houseboat, No rates. Grant

*We have been undertaking alterations to our house. It took several months and thousands of dollars to obtain a building consent we could work with. As far as I'm concerned, the Dunedin City Council Planning Department is the ENEMY! Colin

*Too much power play by the bureaucrats and power brokers,no genuine consideration for the ratepayers who foot the bill for their egotistical dreams.. Ian

*Poorly Run. Not accountable. Staff have no respect for rate payers. Greg

*Explain the benefits of the Super City to any-one living north of the harbour bridge. Richard

*The new Greater Auckland council seems to be more distant from its constituency than ever. It seems to have no notion of how its citizens are faring as they continue to raise rates with impunity. There is no regard as to affordability and it should not be an argument that if a person owns an expensive property he/she should be able to afford the rates that go with it. Central government does not extract money from its citizens based on the value of the assets they own but according to their level of income. Local government should be obliged to do the same. Additionally to argue (as they have done this weekend) that we want some of the social spending that the new bill plans to curtail, may I has how the councils know this? I certainly have not been contacted for my opinion on this matter. Anthony

*We live in Mangawhai, need I say more?? Jim

*They have too many staff pay the councillors far too much and neglect to up keep and improve their area. Peter

*Hamilton City Council has acrewed to much debt.
Their 10 year plan has budgeted for a 3% + rates per year, increase for the next ten years.
It will be interesting to see what this means long term for the asset rich & cash poor in our city.
They appear to be cashing up some assets to pay down debt.
Rate payers will be saddled with extra costs for home & buisnessess at a time when many councils are asleep at the wheel, and dont see the economic train wreck that is facing the world, NZ will not escape.
Council debt has to be repaid by who? Ross

This week's poll asks:

How satisfied are you with your local council?

*I used to be fairly satisfied and now being part of the super city actually agreed with the principle, unfortunately we have a Mayor who is living on another planet so not going well although good to get the V8’s back. Like any form of Government however, the people who get listened to are those that make the most noise and they are predominantly radicals from the nutter brigade who don’t have enough going on in their lives to keep busy, with many councils becoming sub branches of the U.N. and having the looney left idea that money grows on trees at the bottom of the yard things don’t look good. John

*Council needs to stick to basic core business and get out of flash promotions such as V8’s etc. Resident rate payers are slowly being financially gutted, many of these councillors have no idea of what a fixed income is. Robert

*The fndc rips us off at every turn AND they're putting un-elected maori's on the council next year. I'm outta here and back to the UK as soon as I can sell up! John

*The days of rate increases that exceed the real inflation rate in any given area just has to stop. Tim

*We are paying more and getting less; living in a small town, our facilities are few but costs keep rising. I feel we are paying a lot for very little. PJ

*We in HB appear to be small enough to be satisfied with our elected Reps. It's the bigger ones that seem to have problems because the masses loose contact with their reps. Keith

*In regards to lining their own pockets and depriving the public of affordable homes, public transport and utilities I think they are doing a great job. Rhys

*Their levels of expenditure in some areas are a concern but it must be remembered that much of these costs are dictated by central govt. eg. water and sewerage upgrades, building consent processes, social service responsibilities etc. Kelvin

*Having been there and done that I realise that under present circumstances they are doing their best, but the govt is not making it easy for local bodies. I don't know how some of the councillors have time to keep up with their reading, and attend to their businesses. Alan

*Here in Christchurch we have a council which, amongst other things has a large pool of council housing. They claim that this costs nothing as the rents cover the costs. This overlooks the fact that the council is in debt if the value of these houses was realised by selling them the savings in interest would be considerable. John banks did this some years ago in Auckland. They were to be sold to investors, but the Government was left with no choice but to step in and the Housing Corporation bought them. We pay taxes to the government for social services, we should not pay twice by having the council do it as well. The problem, and no government will tackle it is that rate payers votes are a small proportion of the overall number of the people entitled to vote. It is said that these people pay rates through there rent. This is untrue. Rents are set by market forces and rates are just another cost to the landlord. Martin

*Auckland are doing good work in franklin,but the big projects are unaffordable. When I retire in 20 years I won't be able to afford the rates even if my house is paid off. Nigel

This week's poll asks:

How satisfied are you with your local council?

*Councils are a shocker - rates keep going up and services are declining. What's more is that councillors are arrogant - except when it's election time. I don't have much confidence that the Bill as drafted will have much impact at all! Ken

*It's regional councils that are the worst - acting like Gods. While I'm not in favour of bigger councils I do think there is a good case to absorb regional councils into the rest. Sandra

*In many towns, the old infrastructure is crumbling because previous councils have been too busy on the 'fun' projects! They must be forced to deal with essential matters, rather than trying to be celebrities! Pat

*There is a lesson here with the fact that Rodney Hide failed to repeal the "wellbeings" which are the cause of a lot of the excessive spending of councils over the last decade, when he did the reform in 2010. As a result, councils have continued to run out of control. Peter

*The problem with local government is that the talented people who should be running the show are not interested in standing for office. The other side of this problem is that when you get dud staff members on the council, you can't get rid of them. It's pretty much a mess all around, really! Michael