As if developers and those who buy their houses don't have enough costs and difficulties on their plate what with RMA problems, increasingly prohibitive District Plans, interest rate increases, a shortage of skilled builders and Building Act uncertainties ... now Auckland City Council will be whacking developers in their fiefdom with a new compulsory 'Development Contribution' on top of the rates, Consent fees and compulsory 'Reserves Contributions' already levied.
This is simply another grab for money by another council hungry for it, and empowered by the Local Government Act and the RMA to grab it. Read the council's spin here.
Councillor Vern Walsh, chairman of the council's get-our-hand-in-their-pockets commissariat, says "under the current financial contributions system, developers [already] contribute about $17m a year towards open space. He says the proposed development contributions policy would increase this by about $5m per year, as developers will also be asked to contribute to growth costs for the city’s stormwater network and community facilities." [Italics mine.]
There's no 'asking' involved here, despite what Commissar Walsh wants to call it, and the way some compliant media have reported it.
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