KEY POINTS:
John Banks is "stealing" water profits to hold down rates.
After crucifying former Mayor Dick Hubbard on the election hustings for "stealing water profits" to prop up council spending and promising an end to "water price gouging", Mr Banks has taken a leaf out of his predecessor's book.
Mr Banks' defence is he is taking less money from Metrowater than Mr Hubbard, but by his own definition he is perpetrating the same crime.
Now comes the announcement that water bills are rising before the council has finished consulting ratepayers on the price rise.
And the council wonders why no one loves it and its reputation is in the "mediocre" bracket?
A quick recap on the water policy. Council finance director Andrew McKenzie was warned the water policy would lead to "significant" price rises but ratepayers were told the increases would be "small". Water bills soared 19.6 per cent in two years. City Vision leader Dr Bruce Hucker lost his job over water.
A parliamentary inquiry found the council had misled the public. Dick Hubbard and chief executive David Rankin rubbished the report and ignored its findings.
Having inherited the water scandal, John Banks and Citizens & Ratepayers had two choices: carry on or lance the boil. Instead, they devised a compromise of phasing out the policy. It was a smoke-and-mirrors manoeuvre aimed at convincing ratepayers they were sticking to a key election promise of holding rates to the council rate of inflation.
The manoeuvre is predicated on one last grab at the honey pot before Metrowater, in all likelihood, becomes part of a region-wide water company as a result of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Auckland Governance.
Before the tap is turned off, Mr Banks and C&R plan to take $51.2 million in water profits to hold down rates. Perhaps Dick Hubbard should become a mayoral adviser.
* Bernard Orsman is the Herald's Auckland City reporter.
