Will these new local privatisation schemes mean the end of big local government?

Analysis.

There are three very high-profile projects being pushed very hard at the moment. They all have wonderful brand names and sound very community centric.

In fact they are community centric – in the sense that besieged local ratepayers will pick up the bill for all three.

Local Water Done Well, Regional Deals and now a new “strategic Otago health report” all carry the description of solving serious local problems – water, infrastructure and health.

What the descriptions do not feature though is that we locals pick up 100% of the bill.

And the only alternative that is available to these three schemes is mass scale privatisation. In fact the three new schemes read a bit like a collective love letter, a gold plated invitation to privatisation.

That’s not to say that privatisation is a bad thing. As an alternative to local council’s botched and even negligent handling of ratepayers’ money most of us would prefer privatisation, especially if it meant lower rates, more transparency and more efficiency.