Summarised by Centrist

The Taxpayers’ Union is attacking Wellington’s new water entity over executive pay, arguing households are being hit with both rising governance costs at the top, and looming water bills for everyone else.

The group says Wellingtonians are being asked to absorb higher charges while the region’s new water entity Tiaki Wai signs off on what it calls inflated pay for senior leadership.

The sharpest criticism is aimed at the chief executive package and reported board increases. Taxpayers’ Union investigations co-ordinator Rhys Hurley says, “Wellington households are being told to brace for water bills heading toward $7,000, yet the new Tiaki Wai is dishing out inflated salaries for board members and $645,000 for its Chief Executive, $134,700 more than the Prime Minister.”

Hurley says rates “have already increased by 47 per cent last term for Wellingtonians, making them some of the most unaffordable in the country”, and argues this is the wrong moment for officials to be rewarding themselves. “At a time officials need to start tightening their own belts, costs look set to keep blowing out.”

The union also takes aim at the way the decisions were made, describing the governance model as a “murky ‘partnership’ arrangement involving councils and iwi”. It mocks the justification that pay should be kept in line with other council-controlled organisations, asking: “Since when is a nearly $650,000, ratepayer-funded salary something that needs to be protected in the name of ‘parity’?”

Read more over at Taxpayers’ Union

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