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Veteran broadcaster and would-be politician Paul Henry says Queenstown needs a better way of funding the infrastructure it needs to cope with its booming tourism industry — but not another tax.
Henry, who is standing as an Act Party list candidate in November’s general election, is holding a town hall-style event at the Queenstown Memorial Centre this coming Tuesday.
He says the resort’s rapid growth has created a “tyranny of success”, with congestion hurting productivity and making the town less pleasant to live in.
And he is experiencing the impact of Queenstown’s population growth on its transport network first-hand.
“I’ve spent time down there sitting behind camper vans and in extraordinary traffic just to move 20 metres.
“It’s a tyranny of success.
“It’s affecting productivity and creating an environment where it’s actually not that pleasant to live.”
Henry says part of the answer is Act’s proposed Local Tourism Dividend, under which councils would receive $1 for every guest night spent in their area.
It is the party’s alternative to a bed tax, which he says Act will “never support”.
“I accept the problem that your ratepayers are paying for infrastructure that the country is getting benefit out of through tourist nights, and that’s not fair.”
He also accepts the proposed $1 dividend may not be enough for the resort, but it would provide a starting point that could be increased later.
“I don’t believe a dollar’s enough, but let’s get the scheme in place, and as soon as we’re able to increase that, it’s literally just a matter of flicking a switch.”
The money would come from existing GST revenue and visitor levies rather than a new tax, meaning visitors would not face an additional charge on their accommodation bills, he says.
“They’re not going to say ‘oh well, we’ll stay for two nights instead of three’.”
The scheme would also avoid creating new compliance costs for accommodation businesses or a new bureaucracy to collect the money.
Henry says he supports the government’s fast-track legislation for major infrastructure projects, but is “much less enthusiastic” about its use for residential developments.
Henry’s resort visit next week is part of a nationwide road trip he is calling ‘Paul Henry Unlocked: Truth Telling for a Better Tomorrow’.
Asked whether politicians ever do much truth-telling during election years, the 66-year-old says he’s “bucking the trend” because he is not entering politics for a career.
“I just look at the things the left is saying they’ll do, and if we look at the absolute truth, globally, name me one country that’s taxed its way to success.”
He says his motivation is to make a difference.
“I could not live with myself if I woke up on the morning of November 8th and discovered that we had a left-wing government, so I thought ‘I’ve got to do something’.”
- ‘Paul Henry Unlocked: Truth Telling for a Better Tomorrow’, Queenstown Memorial Centre, Tuesday from 7-8pm.
