The Far North’s Very Own Sheriff of Nottingham

Far North Mayoral Candidate, Laurie Byers, today expressed his strong opposition to Sir John Goulter’s announced plan that he would implement a six month amnesty on building permit and resource consent fees.

Mr Byers said, “My first reaction was that he must have been joking, but then I saw it in writing.”

“What Mr Goulter seems not to realise is that someone needs to pay for the cost of processing permits and consents. Currently a cost recovery approach is used so that the person who will benefit from the consent pays the majority of the cost. To acknowledge the public benefit of development, ratepayers currently meet a component of the bill.”

“This proposal of an amnesty will mean nothing more than the ordinary ratepayer paying for those who can afford to develop getting free consents and permits.”

“As I am working my way around the District during the campaign, I am meeting with many people who are struggling to pay their rates, I am also talking to many pensioners on fixed incomes who are doing it hard.”

“It is abhorrent that Sir John would have these people from struggle street pay for the consents of his rich developer mates. This policy of stealing from the poor to give to the rich makes the Knight our very own Sheriff of Nottingham.”

“And what does he think will happen during his six month holiday when people don’t have to pay their own way? We will get a flood of building permit and resource consent applications from anyone who might be thinking about doing something at some stage. The systems will clog up and the cost of Sir John’s bribe will be blown through the roof.”

“If nothing was to change, the cost of this bribe would be at least $3 million over the six month period (or an almost 10% rate increase). But with the obvious reaction of everyone applying for consents to do everything they might one day want to do, I suspect you could at least triple that.”

“It is my intention to undertake an across the board review of the incentives and disincentives created by the current rates, development contributions and fees system to optimise our ability to attract investment. But I would never agree to the sort of ratepayer funded lolly scramble that Sir John plans to impose on us”, Laurie Byers said.

ENDS

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