Rates affordability Debate

Operational Considerations - Technical Feasibility

Option 3

The commenter advocates for a more stringent approach to managing council expenditures by emphasizing the prioritization of essential services such as water, wastewater, stormwater, and roads. They suggest that the council should enhance cost-efficiency by aggressively tendering all services and scrutinizing existing contracts, particularly highlighting the need for a review of traffic management costs and contractor arrangements. Additionally, the commenter criticizes the long-term planning approach, arguing that it often leads to unnecessary spending without incentives for cost reduction, thereby impacting the technical feasibility and operational considerations of council activities.

Table of comments:

Point No

Comment

1373.1

NCC Councillors are like Board of Directors and are responsible for balancing expenditure with income and the measure of efficiency is by holding rates down for its stakeholders (the Ratepayer )A quote I use.It is much easier to become distracted by unimportant matters than it is to deal with important ones. Important matters require effort, time and thought . If you don't focus on the right issues with the right order of priority you end when the original issue you were meant to fix reaches breaking point . All about over spending .Council needs to cut cost by being more aggressive on supply of services and more tendering versus preferred contactors . Tender everything . Look closely at its costing from Nelmac. Look at the cost of Traffic Management and approach Govt to review the ridiculous  requirements. Room does not allow me to list . Council needs to concentrate on the 4 main services of providing  water, wastewater, stormwater and roads .Long term plans give staff a false guide as to what they can spend not concentrating on how they can save it or do without .The excuse is its in the plan .I have had this many times quoted to me . No incentive to reduce cost .