The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling for Watercare to slash expenditure on consultants rather than put up water charges.

Watercare has announced that water and wastewater prices will rise by 9.5 percent from 1 July. According to Watercare Chief Executive Dave Chambers, this increase would have been much higher if not for a reduction in staff numbers.

Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman Josh Van Veen says:

“Despite claims of belt-tightening and efficiencies, Watercare spent $88.4 million of operating expenditure on consultants and contractors in the last financial year.

“Around $24 million of that spend was under the business areas ‘Executive’, ‘Corporate Services’ and ‘Digital’. It is obvious that this money wasn’t going to people in hi-vis with tools.

“Auckland has no choice but to spend billions on upgrading our water infrastructure over the next 10 years. But water user charges should not be paying for corporate largess. The spend on consultants must come down before water and wastewater prices go up.”

Note: Figures were released under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

© Scoop Media