Mayors baulk at paying for Capital's woes

Regional mayors have lashed out at suggestions they should chip in more than $11 million to help ease Wellington City's financial woes, saying they could never afford the proposed "illogical" levy.

The proposal to get the Greater Wellington councils to contribute to the running cost of facilities such as Te Papa, Wellington Zoo and the Carter Observatory has been labelled "silly" and "short-sighted".

It would see all ratepayers in Porirua, Kapiti Coast and Hutt Valley as well as southern Wairarapa, Carterton and Manawatu contribute toward Wellington City Council's aim to cut between 3 percent and 5 percent a year from its operating expenditure.

Lower Hutt Mayor David Ogden said the council had failed to take a wider view and was "just looking after their own backyard".

"The whole world does not revolve around Wellington City, there are a lot more resources going in ... I mean, we do contribute the fundamental thing of water to the region."

Under the proposal, Hutt City Council's contribution to attractions and events in Wellington would almost double from $2.6 million to $4.8 million. Almost $600,000 of that would go toward Te Papa, which Mr Ogden said was not a place for ratepayer money because it was a government institution.

However, Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast said the memo which had the figures based on a per-capita structure similar to Auckland's legislation were yet to be agreed on and "meant nothing".

"It was really to say here is what happened in Auckland, here are some options, so it's not definite yet," Ms Prendergast said. The total amount needed for the funding pool was yet to be finalised.

Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy said "off-loading" extra funding needed for attractions on to other councils would not happen.

"The bottom line is, in today's economic climate, every other council is looking at ways to save money not to load money on to other people," he said.

Upper Hutt City council contributes $5000 to the Festival of the Arts. However, under the proposed funding pool it would be forced to stump up more than $1.5 million for Wellington events and attractions.

"Upper Hutt could not afford it. Simple. And we don't expect our ratepayers to be doing that."

Mr Guppy said that he hoped to have an urgent meeting with all mayors in the region this week to discuss the proposal, especially as it came less than two years after the Greater Wellington regional strategy "lumped $6 million on to ratepayers".

Ms Prendergast said the legislation allowing a similar levy for Auckland, passed in Parliament last year, was essential because lack of sustainable funding would have serious consequences for Wellington.

She said the national opera company, which has a branch in the city, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet had been informally approached to move.

Mr Guppy said Wellington could not afford to have any of the major attractions drawn away from the capital.

SHOW WCC THE MONEY

Proposed funding changes (to be given to museums, Wellington Zoo, Te Papa, Festival of the Arts, theatre/orchestra/opera, Carter Observatory):
•Wellington City Council: Currently $12.3 million, stays at $12.3 million
•Hutt City Council: Up from $2.6 million to $4.8 million
•Porirua City Council: Up from $1.6 million to $2.3 million
•Kapiti Coast: Up from $12,000 to $1.3 million
•Upper Hutt: Up from $5000 to $1.5 million
•Manawatu: Up from $5000 to $627,000
•South Wairarapa: Up from $4000 to $276,000
•Carterton: Up from $3000 to $273,000