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A city councillor has been thwarted in a bid to make his colleagues buy their own lunches so the city could spend $25,000 on a community environmental centre.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch and in these tight economic times we need to send a signal to the ratepayers," said Grant Gillon at last night's North Shore City Council meeting.
He said he was appalled that the council was turning down a "worthy" application for $25,000 by the Kaipatiki Project, which wants to build a sustainable show home for its base.
"I will put my hand in my pocket to pay for my lunch so their application can be granted," said Mr Gillon, one-time Alliance MP, union official and firefighter.
He suggested the 15 councillors and the Mayor put $20 a week each into a fund to provide their meals at work.
The resulting saving in the council budget could go to the project.
But his motion was defeated 10 votes to three, despite support from Mayor Andrew Williams.
Opposing councillors said the project did not qualify for a community grant, and cutting lunches to save rates money was a matter for a separate debate.
Councillor Lisa Whyte said: "I don't care if you give me lunch or not, because I'm on a diet."
Mr Gillon said he would try again to have his suggestion adopted "because I don't think ratepayers should pay for our food".
Council chief financial officer Dale Lott said the proposed catering budget for the council chamber was $50,000 - half that of five years ago.
Once, councillors had a cooked meal during breaks but these days the menu was sandwiches, sushi and fruit.
The $50,000 also included catering for people who came to address a council meeting on business and were invited to lunch. The council had a similar budget for civic functions.
Other city councils also provide meals for elected members.
Waitakere City Council spokesman Wally Thomas said $40,000 was in the budget for feeding the Mayor and 14 councillors each year.
Councillors were given tea and coffee and a buffet of scones, biscuits, sandwiches, savouries and fruit at monthly council meetings, which could last more than four hours.
Mr Thomas said the lunch budget "like all areas of internal spending is being reviewed".
Manukau City has a budget of $45,000 for catering, but does not give councillors food unless a meeting runs over a normal meal time.
The budget covers Manukau's full council meetings, council committees and forums, as well as community board and planning hearings.
Auckland City spent $4739 on working lunches for council and committee members between July last year and the beginning of this year.
The bill covers three months of the former council and two months of the new council elected in October.
The new council has made changes to reduce catering costs.
