The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is welcoming Auckland Council’s decision to resign from Local Government New Zealand.

On Thursday, the Governing Body voted 11-10 for Auckland Council to resign its membership of Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ). The Council’s annual subscription and other costs total $607,195 a year.

In the 2020/21 financial year, LGNZ employed 23 staff, including two deputy chief executives and five managers based in Wellington. It also has a special carve out from freedom of information laws, which means ratepayer money goes into a black hole for lobbying and other activities.

Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesman, Josh Van Veen, says:

"In recent years, LGNZ has become nothing more than a mouthpiece for central government. Gone are the days when LGNZ stood up for local democracy and spoke truth to power in Wellington.

"It was about time that Auckland Council turned the tap off. We thank Mayor Wayne Brown, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, and the nine other councillors for taking this common sense approach to stop wasting the money."

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