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Hi Friend,

Happy Friday!

From $5 million roadside statues to a new Taxpayer Hero council, it’s been a week of contrasts. We’ve also had our say on the draft Code of Conduct, checked the mood on Nicola Willis, and seen more candidates sign up to the Pledge. 

Pledge Update: Who’s really standing with ratepayers? 🗳️📊

The pledge is live, the numbers are in, and they’re growing by the day! Over 1 in 6 local election candidates have now signed our Ratepayer Protection Pledge — spanning 67 councils, including nearly 1 in 5 mayoral candidates. 

We’ve already heard from supporters using the Pledge and our Ratepayer Voting Guide to press candidates and share the results with friends. It’s proving to be more than a list of signatures - it’s turning into a national movement.



And it’s needed. A new survey of candidates shows that even though 75% of voters support a rates cap, a whopping 62% of candidates won’t commit to one. That’s the gap the Pledge helps close. It lets you see exactly who’s willing to stand for ratepayer-friendly policies — and who isn’t.

Our Ratepayer Voting Guide makes it simple: enter your address and instantly see which candidates back transparency, accountability, and rates restraint in your patch.

The bottom line? Don’t let candidates get away with vague promises. The Pledge shows who’s on your side — and who’s not.

👉 Search your address to check who signed the pledge before you vote. <[link removed]>

Ratepayer Heroes: Fewer cones, bigger savings in Taranaki 🚦👏



I love shining a light on councils that actually deliver for ratepayers and this week, New Plymouth District Council deserves the spotlight.

Instead of dragging their feet, NPDC got ahead of the game and started applying the new risk-based traffic management guidelines last year. The result? Projects are being finished faster and cheaper.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has even written to the Council, praising them for “vision and leadership”. <[link removed]>And for once, we’re delighted to say that this is exactly the kind of behaviour we need to see from councils.

The numbers tell the story: NPDC set a goal of cutting traffic management costs by 5 per cent. They smashed it – hitting 6 per cent savings already. On top of that, smart planning during the Waitara roundabout project saved another $100,000 by coordinating water main works at the same time.

This isn’t just about fewer road cones (though we’ll happily take that too). It’s about a council making the effort to coordinate properly, reduce disruption, and respect ratepayers’ money.

Ratepayer Heroes indeed. 🌟

Auckland Council sells film studios — and we’re all for it 🎬💰



This week, we heard the news that Auckland Council is reportedly finally moving ahead with selling its film studios <[link removed]> in Henderson. And honestly? Good move.

For years, ratepayers have been footing the bill for upgrades, maintenance, heavy capital outlays, while council juggled a business it probably never should have run in the first place.

The studios are massive (they house multiple sound stages, prop workshops, production offices, you name it) and have been central to many high-profile productions.

Selling to a private consortium (reportedly involving high-profile names 👀) puts the studios into hands that can run them leaner, smarter, more aggressively. They’ll chase clients, maintain competitiveness, be nimble. That’s how industries grow, not by having councils trying to be film-studio landlords.

Of course, there are risks around access, lease agreements, public interest protections, heritage. But those are negotiable. The alternative is leaving ratepayers on the hook for continuing cost overruns. 

This could be a huge win for Auckland. Let the private sector take on the risk; let ratepayers see fewer surprise bills.

It’s about time councils stop being in the movie business.

$5 Million for Roadside Statues? 🚧🎨

The newest low from NZTA isn’t potholes or delays — it’s art installations. Our OIA shows the agency spent $5.05 million on mahi toi (artwork) along the Manawatū Tararua Highway. <[link removed]>



What wasn’t included in that multi-million dollar price tag? A tender process. A cost-benefit analysis. Even proper community consultation. Just a big bill for taxpayers.

The sculptures were created in collaboration with local iwi and tied to cultural themes — but this isn’t about heritage or art. It’s about priorities. New Zealand already ranks near the top of the OECD for what we spend on infrastructure, and near the bottom for what we actually get. Extras like this might look small in isolation, but across projects they stack up fast. It’s one reason budgets blow and delivery slips.

If NZTA is serious about cutting back on non-essential spending, roadside artwork should be the first to go. Ratepayers want money put into safety, maintenance, and actually finishing roads — not statues.

Confidence in Willis Collapses 📉

The Mood of the Boardroom survey dropped this week – and it says what taxpayers already know. The Government’s books are in a hole, and business leaders have lost confidence in Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon. The graph below shows how much their ratings plummeted in just one year.



The ministers actually getting things done – Erica Stanford, Chris Bishop – scored well overall.

You can feel the strain in every piece of comms out from the Beehive. The numbers don’t add up, the path back to surplus is murky, and confidence is slipping. It's time for a reset.

What we’re calling for is simple: a Spring Statement. To make a difference before election year, the Government needs to front up before the year is out, lay the books on the table, and set out a credible path back to surplus. No more vague promises. No more “wait and see.”

Start with something that actually lifts investment and productivity. Full capital expensing is the obvious first step. Our A Pathway to Surplus <[link removed]>report shows how to pay for it – without higher taxes and without more debt.

No more working groups. No glossy strategies. Just a plan to balance the books and boost growth. The tools are already there – they just need to pick them up and get on with it.

Read A Pathway to Surplus here <[link removed]>

Draft Code of Conduct: back to the drawing board 📝📜

Local Government Minister Simon Watts has been keen to get a Code of Conduct completed for local authorities because the existing, non-standardised, arrangements are not working well.



The main problem is that allegations of code violations get thrown around when parties merely have disagreements, which is stifling freedom of expression and the forthright exchange of views.Unfortunately, the Local Government Commission’s draft standardised code doesn’t cut the mustard.

James and Ray have put together a full submission, which you can read here. <[link removed]>

First off, the draft randomly includes prescriptive Treaty of Waitangi references. The Treaty isn’t even in the Commission’s own terms of reference – and worse, it clashes with the Local Government Act 2022. That’s not “standardisation”, that’s confusion baked in from the start.

Then there are the principles. Some are so vague they could be twisted into weapons by anyone with a grudge. The whole point of a Code is to reduce misuse, not invite it.

And don’t get us started on the investigator powers. They’re over the top – failing every test of fairness and impartiality. No councillor should ever face a process where the investigator plays judge, jury, and executioner.

But the biggest red flag? The draft doesn’t even guarantee councillors access to council-held information, despite the terms of reference explicitly saying it must. Without it, elected members can’t do their job of holding officials accountable.

Our submission went in today. We’ll keep you posted – but for now, this draft needs to go back to the drawing board.

Taxpayer Talk with Peter Williams: Roger Partridge on unscrambling the ministerial maze 🍝🎙️



This week on Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by Roger Partridge from the New Zealand Initiative to unpack his new report: Unscrambling Government: Less Confusion, More Efficiency.

Right now, New Zealand has 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers, and 43 departments. That’s three times as many portfolios and nearly twice as many departments as comparable countries.

Roger argues this sprawling Cabinet structure makes it harder to know who’s accountable, pushes up costs, and slows down solutions to big challenges like housing, welfare, and climate change. In short: too many cooks, not enough results.

👉 Listen to the new episode or wherever you get your podcasts. <[link removed]>

Have a good weekend!

<[link removed]>


Tory Relf
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union
Ps. We’re heading into a critical stretch, Friend. With ballots in mailboxes, our work makes the difference between councils that spend wisely and councils that blow the budget. If you want to see more Pledge signers, more OIA revelations, and more pressure on big spenders, please chip in if you can. <[link removed]> Every dollar helps us keep fighting for you.

In the Media:

The Platform Taxpayers' Union's James Ross on the Treasury Forecast <[link removed]>

The PlatformChris Trotter on National’s Leadership, Trump’s UN Speech, Winston Peters <[link removed]>

NZ HeraldMood of the Boardroom: Peters rises as Seymour and Greens slip with CEOs <[link removed]>

Taranaki Daily News Mixed Views on Rates Capping

The SpinoffCEOs, ‘secret deals’ and rising rates: a night at a Queenstown mayoral debate <[link removed]>

NZ HeraldMood of the Boardroom: National Party poll slump sparks questions over Luxon’s leadership – Richard Harman <[link removed]>

The Bradbury GroupWillie Jackson Responds to John Tamihere | Panel - Chris Finlayson, Shane Te Pou, Kerrin Leoni <[link removed]>

The SpinoffThe rate battle continues as council debt rises <[link removed]>

NZ HeraldChristopher Luxon leadership strain - what’s the strategy on the ninth floor? - Audrey Young <[link removed]>

Waikato TimesRates soar while council staff clock in from home <[link removed]>

The PlatformTony Randle on Why Wellington Voters Are Giving Up on Local Politics <[link removed]>

RNZThe Panel with Ben Thomas and Niki Bezzant Part 1 <[link removed]>

RNZAround the Motu: Robin Martin <[link removed]>

StuffRates expectations: Beware election promises about low rises, economists warn <[link removed]>

TVNZQ+A with Jack Tame, September 21 2025 <[link removed]>

TVNZChristchurch Mayoral Race: Housing and infrastructure pressures for growing city <[link removed]>

The PressA warning from across the ditch on rates caps <[link removed]>

The PostEconomic growth is hard, especially when there is none <[link removed]>

TheSpinoffGone by Lunchtime: Te Pāti Māori wrenches defeat from the jaws of victory <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZBHeather du Plessis-Allan Drive: Full Show Podcast, 19 September 2025 <[link removed]>

Newstalk ZBRuth Richardson: Former Finance Minister disagrees with calls for Nicola Willis to resign <[link removed]>

RNZLuxon maintains things looking up despite GDP drop <[link removed]>

The Press‘We’re growing now’: PM Christopher Luxon upbeat amid economic slump <[link removed]>

StuffThe weird, the wonderful and the downright nasty in Wellington’s mayoral race <[link removed]>

RNZMajority want government to cap council rates <[link removed]>

Otago Daily TimesLarge majority of Kiwis support govt rates cap: poll <[link removed]>

RNZRNZ-Reid Research poll: 75% of voters support a rates cap <[link removed]>

Chris Lynch MediaEconomy shrinks as Government and opposition clash over blame <[link removed]>

NewsroomNewsroom candidates survey: Alarm as councils breach debt ceilings <[link removed]>

The Bradbury GroupPeeni Henare on Tāmaki Makaurau by-election | Phil Goff, Simon Wilson, Dita De Boni, Kerrin Leoni  <[link removed]>

The KākāVoters & business leaders now blaming Govt for economic malaise <[link removed]>

New Zealand Taxpayers' Union Inc. · 117 Lambton Quay, Level 4, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
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