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Dunedin City Council – Kaunihera-a-rohe o Otepoti

Aurora Submission

Submission

Which option do you prefer?
Option Two – The alternative option – Keep Aurora Energy

Further comment
I am extremely concerned and disappointed in the proposal to sell of Aurora. This is critical infrastructure, and must not be allowed to fall in to private ownership. We only need to look at the sorry history of the sale of Britain’s public water companies to private companies from the 1980s onwards, to predict what will happen to Aurora. There, the private owners have failed to invest in new infrastructure, and indeed to even in maintaining the existing facilities. They discharge sewage heedlessly, and have failed to provide a consistent clean water supply. The supposed regulators have proved impotent. The companies raise user costs extortionately, and load themselves with debt to pay shareholder dividends. Eventually government will be forced to buy them back, and absorb the debt. 75% of the ownership is foreign owned, i.e. people who have no vested interest in providing a reasonable service, rather they are only interested in dividends. They are the only winners. This must not happen to Aurora. A wiser long term solution must be found where it is maintained in public ownership.

Supporting information

No associated documents with this submission.

Submitter

Submission id number: 1045735

Submitter name:
Robert Ballagh

Organisation

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