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City Vision is trying to resolve a growing spat over leader Dr Bruce Hucker's support for higher water bills before October's local body elections.
Dr Hucker, who leads the centre-left ticket on the Auckland City Council, has shocked some colleagues by siding with Mayor Dick Hubbard and centre-right politicians to push through 9.6 per cent and 9.1 per cent rises in water bills in consecutive years. Dr Hucker, who once opposed user pays for wastewater services, this week said the rises amounted to the weekly cost of half a large packet of potato chips or less than the cost of a 1.5 litre bottle of Coca-Cola.
Rates relief of up to $500 was available for low-income households, he said.
His support for higher water bills to pay $280 million into council coffers over 10 years has sparked outrage among some colleagues.
Auckland Regional Council chairman and City Vision member Mike Lee has accused Dr Hucker of "thumbing his nose at a majority of his team members and trashing City Vision's election policies". City Vision councillor Neil Abel said he no longer regarded Dr Hucker as leader because of his policy on water.
City Vision chairman Robert Gallagher yesterday said some of Dr Hucker's comments had upset a number of supporters. "We are in discussions with Bruce about the implications of that and how we resolve it. It does need to be talked through and a solution arrived at," he said.
He acknowledged the issue was unhelpful heading into the elections and hoped the centre-left ticket would come up with a policy that everyone could stick to.
Dr Hucker, who has refused to comment about the spat with colleagues, is expected to be questioned about his position on water when he comes up for re-selection on Sunday in the Western Bays ward. It is understood City Vision want to find a solution that avoids a public backdown for Dr Hucker, who has achieved a lot since 1986 as a councillor.
Meanwhile, councillors have been getting feedback on the water rises at this week's public submissions on the budget.
Employers and Manufacturers (Northern) chief executive Alasdair Thompson saw no problem with the council-owned water company Metrowater paying the council a dividend but criticised the council for not consulting on the 9.1 per cent increase.
The council gave ratepayers no indication in the draft budget of this year's 9.1 per cent rise in water bills. The first most ratepayers knew about the increase was a letter from Metrowater chief executive Jim Bentley, dated May 7, telling them prices were going up on July 1.
Heart of the City chief executive Alex Swney called higher water bills "disguised rate increases". The eastern bays community board took a similar view: "To be a cash cow for the council was not the intended purpose of Metrowater when it was established."
John Blakeley, of St Heliers-Glendowie Residents' Association, said on top of big rate rises the latest cause of concern was big water bills.
