Grey Power Federation Press Release March 21st, 2011

Grey Power Calls For Auckland Council to Defer Adoption of the Draft LongTerm Plan Until 2013.

Grey Power calls for Auckland Council to defer the adoption of their Draft Long Term Plan until next year, 2013

“With the unexpected impending Government legislation to restrict Council rating and borrowing levels, and to redefine Council core responsibilities, the Draft Long Term Plan currently in the consultation phase is clearly seriously compromised,” said Bill Rayner, Grey Power Auckland Region Zone Director.

“It will have to be re-worked”.

“It is just not common sense to proceed with proposed core increases of 4.9% when these will be outside the guidelines indicated by Minister of Local Government Nick Smith, and rating levels and other key factors incorporated in the Plan will need to be changed”

“There will also be restrictions on borrowing levels, and some activities that the Council will be unable to proceed with. The Draft Long Term Plan is a very complex document raising major policy and practice changes with unclear and uncertain consequences for the rate paying community.”

The Auckland Plan and the associated Draft Long Term Plan have been created under severe time and work pressures both at the Council political and officer levels that have been basically unreasonable, and the process, and consequent public consultation, has suffered accordingly.

“It is time for a cuppa, and a twelve month breathing space to get the Plan sorted out properly will be of great benefit to everyone involved, particularly the rate paying community.”

The Council should proceed for 2012/13 as last year using the existing rating base with the rate increase of 3.6%, or lower, proposed by Mayor Len Brown

ENDS

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