The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance has responded to revelations by Councillor John Gillon that Auckland Council and its Council-Controlled Organisations have spent $5 million on catering over the past four financial years amid the biggest rates hike in the history of the Super City.

Josh Van Veen, spokesman for the Auckland Ratepayer’s Alliance, said:

“While Aucklanders are tightening their belts, the Council has loosened theirs at the buffet table.

“This is part of a wider culture of waste that ratepayers are increasingly fed up with.”

“Every dollar spent on catering is a dollar not spent on fixing roads, improving services, or easing the pressure on households.”

“It’s time to cut the waste. We back Councillor Gillon’s calls for an end to excessive catering and a crackdown on bureaucratic overspending.”

The Ratepayers’ Alliance has published an Alternative Budget to control expenditure and cap the average residential rates rise at three percent.

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