On the Paul Henry show on TV3/Radio Live this morning, Michael Barnett was asked whether he considered the ‘super city’ was a success or a failure and he replied that it was a failure. Micheal Barnett posted ‘diplomatic’ comments here.
This is a telling condemnation, as business was one of the major reasons for support of the Wellington ‘super city’, which was dropped by the Local Government Commission in June.
The reasons can be simply stated as those that we have given in earlier posts this year — super bureaucracy by bureaucrats remote from the people they administer, an all-consuming focus on the central business district to the exclusion of the rest, and (naturally) super taxes (rates).
Reblogged this on Pittwater Forever and commented:
Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO, Michael Barnett rates Auckland’s amalgamation as a “failure”.
Barnett says: “Still missing is a fit for purpose plan linking urban and infrastructure investment requirements, especially transport and housing. Local and central government need to work harder to cut red tape to help enable Auckland’s growth rather than constrain and add to its cost.
“We have big skill shortages and huge youth unemployment issues we need to get on top of. In an environment of low inflation, a 9% annual rate increase on our 550,000 ratepayers is unacceptable, as is expecting them to fund the improvements which benefit everyone.
“Most of Auckland’s 21 local boards are larger than many of New Zealand’s provincial centres, yet the message I hear is that many feel under resourced and ignored.
“Right or wrong, this tells me is that we have some way yet to go to tell the story of the new Auckland in a way that gives Aucklanders an informed understanding of what really is happening to their city. It needs to be an Auckland story, told at a human level.”