Fears Over Reduction To Disability Travel Service
Article – Matthew Rosenberg – Local Democracy Reporter
CCS Disability Action access coordinator Mary OBrien presented to the city council this week as part of its annual plan consultation, urging it to continue funding the programme at current levels.
Disability groups are pushing for retention of Total Mobility funding amid a potential trimming of the service in Invercargill.
CCS Disability Action access coordinator Mary O'Brien presented to the city council this week as part of its annual plan consultation, urging it to continue funding the programme at current levels.
'Total Mobility is an essential service for many people. It's there to provide a service for people who cannot use other forms of transport,' she said.
The nationwide transport initiative assists people who struggle to get around, with fares subsidised 75 percent by central and local government, to a limit.
Invercargill's programme has seen an 88 percent increase in popularity for the three years to 2023/24, prompting the city council to explore options for disincentivising.
Although some used it for recreation, it was mostly used for essentials services such as shopping or going to the doctor, O'Brien said.
The potential funding reduction has already received push-back from the organisation, which said last month it would negatively impact disabled people.
It also comes at a time when the council is considering an increase to public transport fares.
Cash fares range from $1.10 to $3, but could jump to $5 for some as the government pushes for increased self-funding.
O'Brien's written submission said public transport was important for helping disabled people meet their daily needs because they were less likely to access cars.
'We receive continual feedback from disabled people that they are continually having to make difficult choices such as purchasing, food, heating their homes or paying for transport,' she wrote, with an increase in fares making that choice even harder.
Association of Blind Citizens Southland branch chair Carolyn Weston said Total Mobility was an essential service and also advocated for better public transport.
'Because buses are not necessarily accessible to disabled people, people are using Total Mobility probably more than they need to,' she told councillors.
Her written submission called for an overhaul of the bus service so that it could be more 'receptive, accessible, reliable and affordable'.
Weston requested audio announcements be reintroduced, because it was 'embarrassing' they were no longer offered by one of the first cities to use them.
Directions given to council staff from elected members on 1 April included developing a process to limit Total Mobility trip numbers and considering a reduction in subsidy to 50 percent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
Tauranga Council Cuts $9.85m In Costs To Shave 2.1% Off Rates Rise
Article – Alisha Evans – Local Democracy Reporter The council deliberated on its 2025/26 Annual Plan from Monday to Thursday after receiving 968 submissions and hearing from 68 people in person this month. Tauranga residents are facing a 9.9% rates rise after the council found extra savings. Tauranga City Council faced public criticism for proposing a 12% rates increase, down from a projected 20%. It has found $9.85 million more in cuts to council operating costs to knock off another just over 2%. These included saving $166,000 by turning public recycling bins – which had high contamination rates – into rubbish bins. The biggest cost drop, however, came from employee reductions, with at least 98 roles cut and at $12.3m saved. The council deliberated on its 2025/26 Annual Plan from Monday to Thursday after receiving 968 submissions and hearing from 68 people in person this month. On Thursday Mayor Mahé Drysdale said the changes and savings made in the plan would flow through to future years. Drysdale promised he would keep the rates below those forecast in the long-term plan. The 9.9% overall rates rise was 'not as good' as the councillors would have liked, but it was a start, he said. The council would be looking at every dollar because they needed to be prudent with people's money, Drysdale said. 'We have to respect ratepayers' money, and we have to deliver things for as small a cost as we can.' The community had also told the council more facilities were needed, he said. 'We've been dealt a very tough situation where our infrastructure and our community assets are well below where they need to be.' He said the challenge was finding the balance between delivering projects and reducing rates. 'I'm very proud of this team [and] I think we have delivered a very good balance.' Councillor Glen Crowther said it was a challenging Annual Plan because they were dealing with past decisions that added costs to the organisation. A lot of those decisions were 'firmly locked into place', he said. Crowther said he wanted a lower rates increase. 'I appreciate that a lot of work went into getting to the 9.9%, so I'm not dismissing that, but I think we need to end up lower.' The council's operating expenses were still too high, and he wanted work done before the Annual Plan was adopted in July to reduce rates further, he said. During the four days of deliberations, the council discussed everything from portaloos to tsunami paths in Pāpāmoa. Tauranga Netball asked for $20,000 to lease five portaloos toilets at Blake Park during the winter sports season. Drysdale said this was 'expensive' and they needed to 'get a deal'. The council decided to buy the portaloos and would be able to pay for this within the current budget. The Ōtūmoetai Pool, an 'amazing community asset' slated for closure, was saved. The council also agreed to extend the Pāpāmoa shared coastal path from Parton Rd to Taylor Reserve, provided it cost no more than $1m and could be delivered within the council's current budget. There were some losers from the deliberations. Councillors declined ARGOS Gym Sports $67,000 for a new kitchen and cafe facility, and Bowls Matua would not receive $180,000 to upgrade its third green. Creative Bay of Plenty would also not receive a $77,500 increase in its funding. The rates increase would be finalised in June when the Annual Plan was adopted. How the council achieved its savings • Projects reprioritised or delivered in-house $3.2m • Reduction in consultants and more use of internal services $3.9m • Employee cost reductions $9.1m – 98 roles were disestablished with more possible • Uptake-related kerbside collection cost reduction $900,000 • Interest-related finance cost savings $2m • Increased user fees $2.3m • Reduced engagement and education costs $1.5m • Other organisation-wide cost reductions $5.1m The extra savings to get to 9.9% • Further employee cost reductions $3.2m • Interest and depreciation savings $2.2m • Process improvement savings $3.8m – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Scoop
Waimakariri Remains On Track For Rate Rise Under 5%
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter The Waimakariri District Council is expected to stick to its proposed rate rise of 4.98%. Supporting growth by investing in infrastructure is the focus of Waimakariri District Council's annual plan, Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon says. The council resumed its deliberations on its 2025/26 annual plan on Tuesday morning, May 27, with staff recommending to councillors to stick with the proposed average rate rise of 4.98 percent. Mr Gordon backed the call and said the draft annual plan was in line with central Government direction, focusing on delivering local infrastructure, core services and ''a responsible rates increase''. The council received 787 submissions, with the bulk being on the council's proposed waters services model, designed to meet the requirements of the Government's Local Water Done Well legislation. ''Residents told us they were happy with the direction we've proposed, specifically supporting investing in our infrastructure as Waimakariri grows and demand for service increase.'' The council has proposed beefing up its own internal business unit to manage water services, despite calls from its northern neighbours, Hurunui and Kaikōura, to join a North Canterbury water services council controlled organisation. Around 97% of submissions supported going it alone on managing water services. ''This support has vindicated the strong stance and time we have spent advocating for better Three Waters Reform that respected local property rights and had assets remain in the hands of the communities that paid for them,'' Mr Gordon said. Staff recommended minor changes to the budget following submissions, including grants of $10,000 to the Rangiora Bowling Club, $3500 to the Waimakariri Public Arts Trust and $8500 to the Ohoka Domain Advisory Board. Changes to KiwiSaver, announced by the Government in last week's Budget, will also have a small impact on the council. The council's finance and business support general manager Nicole Robinson said the changes could be absorbed in the budget, without increasing rates. She said the council planned to spend $89.6m on capital projects over the next 12 months. The Waimakariri district was continuing to experience growth, with 743 consents for new houses issued in the 2024 calendar year, but the council continued to operate in an uncertain economic environment, she said. Inflation has improved, with Consumer Price Index inflation now estimated at 2.2% and the Local Government Cost Index inflation, which impacted on the council, now at 3.3%. Interest rates have also dropped, with the Reserve Bank's Official Cash Rate now 3.5%, down from 4.25% earlier in the year. The council's interest rate from the Local Government Funding Agency is now 3.48%. Deliberations were set to continue this afternoon, with a reserve day planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) if required. The council is due to meet again on June 17 to adopt the 2025/26 annual plan. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
27-05-2025
- Scoop
‘Forgotten Where They All Came From': Councilor Lashes Out Over Pay Equity
Article – Matthew Rosenberg – Local Democracy Reporter The new committee is spearheaded by former National MP Dame Marilyn Waring, with its members all volunteering their time. An Invercargill councillor says the people who made changes to the Equal Pay Act have forgotten where they came from. Former-New Zealand First MP Ria Bond made the comments after it was revealed she was one of 10 former female MPs joining the 'People's Select Committee on Pay Equity'. The unofficial committee went public on Monday with its plan to take submissions and examine changes to the Act, which were passed under urgency earlier this month. The changes make it more difficult for those who believe they are being unfairly paid to make a claim. '(I) just feel really let down by this Government and the way that they chose to have it go under no scrutiny and through urgency, with no input from anyone that actually works in these sectors,' Bond said. 'I think they've forgotten where they all come from.' The new committee is spearheaded by former National MP Dame Marilyn Waring, with its members all volunteering their time. Bond was pleased the group had formed, and said it showed the power of people to 'make a movement when things are so drastically wrong'. Waring and Bond are joined by former Labour MPs Lianne Dalziel, Steve Chadwick, Nanaia Mahuta and Lynne Pillay; former National MPs Jackie Blue, Jo Hayes and Belinda Vernon; and former Green MP Sue Bradford. Waring told reporters earlier today there was a good spread of women who wanted to hear the evidence Parliament should have heard. They would reach out to key parties that previously submitted on the legislation as well as 33 groups whose claims were affected by the changes, she said. Submissions to the committee are open until 31 July with an initial hearing to be held in Wellington on 11 August. More hearings will be announced at a later date with a draft report prepared before the end of the year. Bond was a member of parliament with New Zealand First from 2015 to 2017. She was elected to Invercargill City Council in 2022. Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden announced the changes to the pay equity process earlier this month. Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors, she said at the time. The changes include raising the threshold of professions predominantly performed by female employees from 60 percent to 70 percent.
