Removal of Taniwha Tax Welcomed

10 AUGUST 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Taxpayers’ Union has welcomed Auckland Council’s acceptance of the Independent Hearings Panel recommendations to abolish the Mana Whenua provisions from Auckland’s Unitary Plan – provisions the Taxpayers’ Union has campaigned for the removal of since labelling them a ‘Taniwha Tax’ in April last year.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says, “This is a victory for those who have helped stand-up for planning rules based on science and evidence, not make-believe. No one objected to the Council protecting genuine sites of significance, but instead the Council gave preferences to wholly ‘metaphysical’ matters, without even bothering to visit the thousands of sites which were originally designated.”

The Taxpayers’ Union report on the Taniwha Tax was jointly launched with the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance, the Auckland Property Investors Association and Democracy Action.

“The Democracy Action pressure group, and in particular their founder Lee Short, should be recognised for their tremendous efforts in forcing the Council to do this u-turn. The win shows the value of community groups getting together to campaign, and hold those in power to account.”

ENDS

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