KEY POINTS:
When it comes to policy at this election, City Vision has plenty on offer but is vulnerable on rates and financial management. Citizens & Ratepayers is big on slogans but short on detail.
The case for new swimming pools in Avondale and Otahuhu is an example of the
choice facing voters at the local body elections.
A vote for City Vision-Labour is a vote for the new community facilities. A vote for Citizens & Ratepayers could sink local wishes.
C&R leader David Hay says the council cannot afford a swimming pool in every community. Pools cost money to build and have ongoing funding costs. Is spending $20 million on two pools the best use of ratepayers' money?
Mr Hay is happy to ask the question but not give an answer. That's because C&R is more about philosophy than specific policy at this election. Its two-and-a-half page manifesto offers slim pickings on specifics.
On the other hand, the City Vision centre-left ticket have issued a 13-page manifesto packed with promises on everything from affordable housing to developing partnerships with Pacific Island, Asian and other ethnic and minority communities.
City Vision also has its track record and council's 10-year plan to bid for a second term running the country's largest council.
Rates have gone up 21.4 per cent and 32.7 per cent for households under City Vision. Next term the forecast increases are 37.3 per cent and 40.3 per cent for households. A $1.5 billion borrowing programme over 10 years will take some of the sting out of these increases.
City Vision leader Richard Northey said City Vision would look at reducing the forecast rate increases by making capital projects, such as the $96 million bill for fixing the Aotea carpark roof and upgrading Aotea Square, less expensive and spreading other projects, such as the waterfront development, over a longer timeframe.
That could push back funding into the last four of the council's 10-year plan when forecast rate increases were 3 per cent to 4 per cent, he said.
Mr Northey said City Vision had the "courage" over the past three years to spend millions of dollars catching up on deferred projects, such as fixing stormwater and drainage to reduce overflows polluting the harbours. Similarly on transport: "People want better transport and deserve better transport."
He said C&R could make "nickel and dime" savings on community facilities and programmes but did not believe his political rivals could preserve the quality of the city's infrastructure while holding rates at the level of inflation.
C&R has promised to link rates to the council's own rate of inflation - forecast at 4 per cent, 3.4 per cent and 3 per cent over the next three years - but will not say where the knife will fall. C&R councillors voted for much of the $2.3 billion spending in the 10-year plan and voted against $100 million of savings put up by Mr Northey.
Asked to nominate savings, Mr Hay would not be drawn on specifics but acknowledged that efficiency gains and spending cuts on things like consultants would not be enough.
"We are going to put a measuring stick over a whole heap of stuff because we have got to find the money somewhere and it won't be easy."
