C'mon Rodney - let's focus on the real issues

Federated Farmers thinks it’s time for Rodney District Council to put aside petty politicking and focus on getting the best deal for its residents.

“Yesterday, Rodney’s Mayor said that Council was going to try again to become a unitary authority outside the new Auckland, but that option’s simply not a runner,” says Wendy Clark, Federated Farmers Auckland acting president.

“Federated Farmers has looked at the numbers and they just don’t stack up. Rodney would have to absorb a lot of costs which are currently absorbed regionally without any economies of scale. In the year 2008-2009, Auckland Regional Council spent more than $20 million in Rodney, but only got $10 million back in rates. This means there’d have to be big rate increases.

“Rodney is very much influenced by metropolitan Auckland because many of its residents work there. When these workers come home at night they take their urban expectation with them, expectations that reflect in Rodney’s high rates. Rodney farmers pay the highest rates in the Auckland region and we think the costs of these expectations, which are really costs associated with a growing Auckland, should be absorbed by Auckland as a whole.

“The debate about whether Rodney should take part is done and dusted and it’s now time to discuss the local/central function split. Council has to focus on the issues of the day otherwise they’ll disadvantage rural Auckland once the new governance arrangements are up and running.

“Federated Farmers has worked hard to ensure rural Auckland has its own separate local boards and we’re now pushing to get these boards running as many functions as possible. This is where Council should be focusing its attention, not on self-serving stunts that take attention away from the real issues.

“Rodney District Council needs to abandon the idea that it can go at it alone and get back to looking after the interests of its residents,” Wendy Clark concluded.