Teacup row a bit of crock

They're facing the greatest upheaval in local politics for decades - but one of the most pressing concerns for Auckland city councillors is: where are all the teacups?

Half the stock of community hall cups and saucers are missing, broken or dirty, leaving ratepayers with a $12,000 bill for replacements.

The crockery debate - predictably dubbed a "storm in a teacup" by opposition councillors - lasted 45 minutes at a council committee meeting this week.

It has also been the subject of a public consultation, prompting a recommendation to scrap the remaining cups altogether.

City Vision-Labour leader Richard Northey said it may not have been the weightiest decision on the agenda, "but on the other hand, it seemed to be wrong, so we didn't just want to let it go".

"It's a reasonable expectation that you can have a cup of tea before, after or during a meeting."

The council asked 280 community groups to write in with their crockery concerns, but more than 250 didn't bother. Of those who did, most wanted to keep the cups.

Community services committee chairman Paul Goldsmith said the disappearing crockery was a "sad measure of our society".

Officers were trying to limit the burden on ratepayers, and the issue was "just one of those little niggles".

"People like to have a cuppa and a scone at the end of their meeting."

The committee resolved to scrap crockery in 17 halls, but instead agreed to provide disposable cups, or allow groups to keep their own in a locked cupboard.