Wellington Chamber of Commerce
Media Statement
Monday 27th March 2017

Wellington Chamber applauds rates rise restraint

Wellington Council has done well to keep the 2016/17 rates increase to 3.3 per cent, in light of the many pressures put on spending, says Wellington Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive John Milford.

Mayor Justin Lester made the announcement at his State of the City speech to a Chamber of Commerce event today.

“This is a positive outcome, considering we were steering down the barrel of more than a 5 per cent rise, and councillors and officers are to be acknowledged,” Mr Milford said.

“The unbudgeted costs from the earthquake threatened to push it past that mark, but clearly they have been able to find efficiencies from lower priority and reprioritised spending.

“This is something councils should be doing all the time and something the business community has been urging for a long time.

“Businesses have to make those sorts of savings on a daily basis to operate, so it’s pleasing that this council is taking that attitude with ratepayers’ money. Now it needs to continue.

“The council also needs to continue to work on re-prioritisation to ensure rates are spent in the most effective manner possible.

“It’s a separate issue to budget savings but no less important.”

Mr Milford said it was also good to see the council was continuing to work hard on ways to encourage the development of thousands of new houses in the public and private sectors.

“Developing new housing supply is a great way of ensuring housing across the city remains affordable, so the Chamber supports efforts to make best use of what land we have.

“Affordable housing is good for our young people, first home buyers and for helping to attract new people to come here to work and live.

“We don’t want to become an unaffordable city. We won’t grow like that.”

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