LETTERS: Devil's in the mileage | Auckland Opinion | Local Voices from Auckland, New Zealand

Hmmm. I drive 63km to work and 63km home again, five days a week. My petrol bill (with no subsidy) is about $400 a month. What rate is being paid, and how? Per km, time spent travelling? It seems a lot...
Mike
New Plymouth

I would be interested to know at what rate the councillors are charging per kilometre for travel.
My understanding is, from my own workplace experience, that you are allowed to claim either of 2 ways: A higher initial amount reducing to a much lesser amount after 3000km or a flat rate amount.
However, the IRD at http://www.ird.govt.nz/resources/c/a/ca0545004bbe5b629c54dcbc87554a30/mileage-rate.pdf reports a flat rate of 70 cents per km. For a 110km round trip that's $77.00. To claim $400 would therefore only be five round trips to the office (give or take). So that's claiming every day for a trip to the office and back, a round trip of 110kms, being 55kms each way.
Someone knows when they are onto a good thing, obviously.
Philip
Albany
Editor: It is undertstood most councils recompense at a standard rate of 70c/km

Our company has dramatically reduced travel expenses by using audio, smart or net-meetings.
There is some pretty sophisticated technology on offer that gives the feeling that all participants are in the same room.
Carlos
Auckland

With the report that new Super City councillors may end up claiming huge milage expenses, why not provide the new councillors with free public transport passes from day one?
The new Auckland Council, who will be responsible for providing funding for public transport for the region, should be seen to be practicing what they preach and encourage their councillors to use public transport rather than private cars.
If public transport is not practical or available for the councillors, they will be in an ideal position to change this and make improvements.
Isaac Broome

I was just reading about the excessive costs to ratepayers for refunding mileage allowances.
While I agree it is a bit much to say the least, could your staff not raise with the council, old and new, and find out which mayor would have council meetings on secure webcam links from the various members who live more than 30km away from the council offices? Or better still, do all council work via video links?
This I believe is what the new technology is all about, and this was touted as a problem solving tool years ago. By asking prospective mayors if they are willing to do this, would it not impact on the publics voting of councillors/mayors?
David