Bay of Plenty Regional Council told
Stuff, in response to a Local Government Official Information & Meetings Act request, that it incurred $203,798.47 in legal fees “in order to secure compliance with the RMA on this matter”.
Christel Yardley/Stuff
In an affidavit, Alan Merrie told the court they “foolishly put the cart before the horse, by beginning the process of tyre collection before we had the cash in the bank”. “This includes any advice relating to our initial response to the stockpiling, prior to charges being laid, costs associated with the first prosecution for contravention of an abatement notice, and the current matter relating to a breach of an enforcement order.”
A council is trying to legalise camping at its freedom camping sites after realising none of them complied with either national or regional rules.
The Renwick Domain is one of five freedom camping sites run by the Marlborough District Council.
Photo: LDR / Chloe Ranford
Of the five freedom camping sites owned by the Marlborough District Council, two violate national reserve rules and four are waiting on resource consent approval to make camping there legal.
The sites, which saw 4300 tourists over summer, were the only ones to survive an overhaul of the region s freedom camping bylaw six months ago. Eight others were closed.
With these league tables, New Zealanders can easily compare their local council’s performance and financial position for 2020 against others.
Setting out more than two thousand data points, the Ratepayers’ Report provides transparency for ratepayers, and rates figures are presented on a per-household basis to ensure fair comparisons between councils. The league tables rank councils on metrics including average residential rates, staffing costs, and council liabilities among others.
Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager Louis Houlbrooke says, “Our annual Ratepayers’ Report helps ratepayers answer the question: could you be getting a better deal from your local council? The league tables reveal huge disparities between councils in terms of how much they take in rates, how much they owe, and how much they spend on salaries. Local council staff should pay close attention to the rankings and ask themselves how they might emulate their better-performing neighbours.”
Business Scoop » 2021 Ratepayers' Report Released scoop.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scoop.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.