Audits a waste of money, say Nats

A requirement for local councils to audit their long-term work programmes has wasted several million dollars of ratepayers' money, the National Party says.

Under the Local Government Act 2002 councils must produce and have audited a 10-year plan for how they will improve their community's social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing.

The party's local government spokesman John Carter said today National had estimated the auditing exercise would have cost the country's councils about $8 million.

The estimate was extrapolated from the actual costs of several councils.

Mr Carter said Local Government New Zealand had indicated that 74 of 77 audits completed so far had received a complete clearance. Three had been pulled up for minor points.

Th at proved the audits were an expensive waste of money, he said.

"They should have let the councils just go about their business rather than feeling the need to look over their shoulders," he said.

"It's a monumental lack of trust that central government has in local government.

"Several mayors I've spoken to have called it a waste of both time and resources."

- NZPA