Fears city water may cost hundreds of dollars more

Super City candidate John Banks is proposing increases in water costs says Richard Northey. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Auckland families should be concerned about big water bill increases under Super City mayoral contender John Banks and Citizens & Ratepayers, says the leader of the rival City Vision ticket, Richard Northey.

"John Banks and C&R's policy would increase the cost of water services for about 127,000 households in Manukau, Waitakere and the North Shore by up to several hundred dollars a year," the former Labour MP said.

Mr Northey was responding to C&R president John Slater, who said the right-leaning ticket supported user-pays for wastewater and hints of a similar policy by Mr Banks.

C&R is refusing to tell voters if their water bills will go up or down if it wins control of the Super City.

Mr Banks, who has a mantra of "affordable progress", said he would have a policy on wastewater charges, but has not released it.

City Vision supports the policy of councils charging for water on a user-pays basis, but believes the larger cost of wastewater disposal should be based on property values. Low-value properties would pay less and high-value properties would pay more.

Mr Northey said Mr Banks and C&R wanted to roll out Auckland City's policy of an annual fixed charged of $81 and user-pays for wastewater for 75 per cent of the water supplied.

The other three cities have fixed charges - $399 in Manukau, $430 in Waitakere and $489 on the Shore.

If the Auckland City charging system was imposed, about 60 per cent of Manukau households, 56 per cent of Waitakere's and 48 per cent of the North Shore's would pay more.