Viewpoint – Where does the money go?

Every year, Rodney residents open their rates bills and are asked to pay more to help fund Auckland’s growing needs.

We are told our rates support transport, parks, libraries, environmental programmes, community facilities and regional infrastructure. Yet one simple question remains unanswered: how much of Rodney’s rates revenue actually comes back to Rodney?

As your elected Council representative, I have repeatedly asked Auckland Council to provide a clear breakdown showing how much rates revenue collected from Rodney is spent in Rodney. Despite repeated requests that information has never been provided in a way that gives ratepayers a straightforward answer.

The information that is available outlines local board budgets, individual projects and various regional spending programmes. What is missing is the figure every ratepayer would reasonably expect to see: A comparison between what Rodney contributes and what Rodney receives.

Council staff argue that this is too difficult because many services and investments cross Local Board boundaries. I simply do not accept that explanation. Private sector organisations routinely allocate costs across divisions, regions and countries. Large companies can track expenditure across multiple business units and jurisdictions. Surely Auckland Council can provide a basic breakdown of rates collected and rates spent by Local Board area.

Ratepayers deserve transparency. They should be able to see how much money is collected from their area, how much is invested locally and how much is directed towards regional activities.

Disappointingly, there has also been little political appetite from the majority of councillors to demand this information. Council regularly debates fairness, growth, investment and regional priorities, yet many seem reluctant to insist on a detailed accounting of where rates revenue goes. That should concern every ratepayer.

To help stop high rate increases, Council must focus on delivering essential core services rather than non-essential ones. Ratepayers have a right to know exactly how their rates are spent so they can make informed decisions about which local services should be continued, reduced or axed.

Furthermore, Council should deliver value for the rates paid by residents, but there is widespread scepticism that this is not the case.

Rodney is one of Auckland’s fastest-growing areas. We want to see infrastructure built in advance of housing growth, proactive sensible flood inundation measures, the roads we need built, adequate community facilities, better environmental protections, and more.

Without clear information, residents are left to speculate. Transparency would replace assumptions with facts, and allow an informed discussion about whether Rodney is receiving a fair return on its rates contribution.

My argument is simple. Auckland Council should publish a detailed, publicly accessible comparison of rates collected from Rodney versus the rates invested back into Rodney. If Rodney is receiving its fair share, the data will prove it. If not, ratepayers must know that as well.

Rodney residents are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for accountability, transparency and an answer to a straightforward question: Where does Rodney’s money go?