MEDIA RELEASE

New Plymouth Asset Management Failure "Scary"

5 MAY 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Taxpayers’ Union is labelling the lack of internal controls at New Plymouth District Council as "scary", following the revelation that New Zealand’s largest concrete companyhas not been paying a New Plymouth District Council land lease for 30 years. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:

“How could the systems at New Plymouth District Council be this bad? What else has slipped through the cracks?”

“We are simply staggered that the Council's property manager Peter Handcock is quoted in the media as saying the error is not enough to spark an investigation into the Council’s other leasehold properties. If this doesn’t warrant further investigation what on earth does? It appears Mr Handcock is trying to prevent exposure of whatever else the Council has stuffed up. Has he something to hide?”

“The first thing a competent leader of any large organisation does is to make sure that necessary controls and systems are in place so as to ensure assets are being well managed. Clearly that is not the case here.”

“Mayor Gary Judd, should demand Mr Handcock tender his resignation and require a full enquiry to expose what else ratepayers may be missing out on.”

ENDS

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