1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: Now you will have caught the news last night. Auckland 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Mayor Wayne Brown says that if the government puts in 3 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: a rates cap, the City Rail Link won't have any 4 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: trains or drivers. He says, the council has to pay 5 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,159 Speaker 1: for the CRL and that's why Auckland residential rates are 6 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: going up by seven point nine percent next year. However, 7 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: some people are calling bs on that number. Auckland rate 8 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 1: Payers Alliance spokesperson Jordan Williams is with us. 9 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 2: Now, Hi, Jordan, get a header. 10 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: Okay, So he says, got to raise rates by this 11 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: much to pay for it. What do you say, Well, 12 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: it's a ruz. 13 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: He said that the cost of running it is a 14 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 2: million dollars a day, but if you listen to walk 15 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 2: and transport, it's nonsense on stilts. They work it out. 16 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 2: Once you factor in the projected income from the increased 17 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 2: patronage and fear revenue, it's fifty three million, half of 18 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 2: which is covered by NZTA. That leads a shortfall of 19 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 2: two hundred and sixty million annually, certainly not anywhere near 20 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: what Wayne Brown is trying to use to justify a 21 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 2: record seven point nine percent rate hike that he is 22 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 2: proposing even that's that's even worse than anything for golf 23 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,559 Speaker 2: or len Brown gave the super city, and he's saying 24 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: there's an additional fifty million dollar hole which takes you 25 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 2: up to a nine point nine percent rate hike. We're 26 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 2: sounding the alarm, are you? 27 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: Is that for real rate? Is he hiking rates by 28 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: more than than his predecessors when he is the guy 29 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: who apparently was going to keep rates low. 30 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: It's unbelievable. Only a few months ago, Wayne Brown was 31 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 2: out there saying I'm not going to hike rates any 32 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 2: more than one and a half percent above inflation. So 33 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 2: that gets you pretty much bang on to where the 34 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: government said they're going to cap rates. And yet yesterday 35 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: he's out there timing his announcement to harpoon. The government 36 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 2: seems to be back in the labor parties camp, or 37 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 2: at least with al jen z Ed to try to 38 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 2: undermine the government's good effort to cap rates. This was 39 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: the guy we elected to get council costs under control. 40 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 2: Has you know the costs under his stewards have gone 41 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 2: up far to live twenty and a half percent versus 42 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 2: seven percent inflation cumulative since he was elected into office 43 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 2: and now he's about to deliver a rates increase. Horror 44 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 2: is proposing higher than anything Wayne. 45 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: Lenen Round or Phil. 46 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 2: Goff delivering the most is extraordinary YouTube. 47 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: Is this the old negotiating tactic. It's the opening gambit 48 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:25,839 Speaker 1: and it comes back from there. 49 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 2: Well maybe that's okay, but you know, you're entitled to 50 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: your own opinion or your or your political strategy, but 51 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 2: you're not entitled to your own facts. And the facts 52 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 2: are Auckland Transport have called this out as being absolute nonsense. 53 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 2: It is not a million dollars a day. It is 54 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 2: twenty six millions across the whole year. It doesn't justify 55 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: a massive rates increase. What's really driving this is that 56 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 2: since Wayne Brown sacked Marris Williamson as the head of 57 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 2: his finance can and put in Desley Simpson, they haven't 58 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 2: found the savings that he promised, and what we are 59 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 2: now seeing is a catch up mode to raid Auckland 60 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: or pick Auckland rate payers pockets to fill that gap. 61 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 2: We're going to call it out. 62 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: Good on you. Now, let me just get something straight. 63 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: So what he so the cost of running the CURL 64 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: represents about a one percent rates increase. 65 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, he's saying it it's many times more than that, 66 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 3: but I'm going to read to you your calculations are, well, 67 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 3: this is what this is literally on the public record 68 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 3: and stuff from Auckland Transport. They say that the costs 69 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 3: are approximate sixty three million then for the additional operations, 70 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 3: network access and maintenance. But when you factor in the 71 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 3: increased patronage and fear revenue, that takes you down to 72 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 3: fifty three million. Half of that is NZTA's share, so 73 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 3: that leads just twenty six million for Wayne Brown to find, 74 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 3: which shouldn't be that hard. 75 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: Jordan, Thank you, appreciate you so mate. That's Jordan Williams, 76 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: Auckland Ratepayers Allow Alliance spokesperson. 77 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drive, listen live to 78 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 2: News Talk Set B from four pm weekdays, or follow 79 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.