Comprehensive Victory in Unitary Plan "Taniwha Tax" Campaign

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE BY THE NEW ZEALAND TAXPAYERS' UNION AND THE AUCKLAND RATEPAYERS' ALLIANCE

27 JULY 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union and its sister group, the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance, are celebrating a comprehensive victory in their “Taniwha Tax” campaign, with the Independent Hearings Panel recommending that Cultural Impact Assessment requirements, and the scheduled “sites of value” be deleted from the Unitary Plan.

In April last year, the groups joined Democracy Action and the Auckland Property Investors Association in launching a briefing paper on the draft plan’s Mana Whenua Cultural Impact Assessment provisions.

“The Taniwha Tax is dead!” says Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams. “Not only has the Independent Panel removed the ridiculous provisions covering ‘metaphysical’ issues – in other words the make-believe – it has completely rejected the Council’s recommendations for even more onerous requirements than those which were in the draft Unitary Plan.”

“It’s a win for democracy, for protecting Auckland’s genuine cultural heritage, and for science-based planning.”

Jo Holmes, Spokesperson for the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance, says: “This is the most significant win to date for our 16,500 members across Auckland. Our campaign exposed that many of the 3,600 sites deemed of cultural value didn’t even exist and the Council didn’t bother to check.”

“We welcome the Panel’s recommendations, and look forward to the Council's adoption of them,” concludes Ms Holmes.

The relevant recommendations are included in the Panel’s Report to Auckland Council - Hearing topic 009 - Mana Whenua (refer to chapters 6 and 7).

ENDS

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