The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance can reveal, through a request made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, that ratepayers have spent $237,561 on the ‘Whai’ light-up installation that is currently displayed at Silo Park.

“It’s incredulous for Auckland Council to demand an extra $300 million this year from ratepayers, only to get caught funding light-up art installations. Have they no shame?”

“Council’s controversial 5.8 percent rates increase, which we now know is much higher, has hit households incredibly hard. When families are choosing between paying for rates or paying for groceries, can we agree that this is not a good use of money?”

“Auckland Council has claimed the average rates bill is $4,069 – on that assumption, they’ve effectively spent 60 households’ worth of rates on this one thing. And to ask us for more money with a straight face is just insulting.”

“Only five months ago we called out Auckland Council’s ridiculous $560,000 ‘Rainbow Machine’, and hanging fairy lights in Silo Park for a quarter million dollars simply isn’t a priority for households. Stick to the basics and start treating our money with some respect, otherwise we’ll find new councillors who will.”

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