- Tonight ` councils under the microscope. - Some of the charges for common household items, and even household members. - Are you getting value from your local body? - 150 for this little thing. It's more than my car registration. - And it was supposed to be under police protection, so why is it missing? - Would have rung them at least, maybe 15, 20 times. - We're both frustrated about the situation. - Plus, where's your bag? Lost luggage ` when it's more than just a suitcase. - It's just eaten` eaten away at me, big time. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2022 - Tena koutou katoa. Welcome to the show. Ever wondered if you're getting value from your local council? - Well, one viewer did ` he was worried about dog registration. But with local body elections coming up, that got us thinking. How do councils compare when it comes to every day services? - Yeah, cos we pay them thousands in rates, but how much bang are we getting for that buck? Here's Garth. - It's election season. People are vying for your votes on councils all around the motu. You can't put a price on democracy, but the people you elect will help to set some of the charges for common household items. We've decided to look at charges for water, parking, libraries and LIMs. And even household members. Isn't that right, Stanley? Oh, but he's worth it. Yes, aren't you, boy? And the charges, just like the dogs themselves, come in all shapes and sizes. Registering Bailey hasn't been an easy stroll for Felix. - 150 for this little thing. It's more than my car registration. OK. - That's Auckland Council's earlybird price to register a dog that hasn't been neutered. Why were you furious? - Because they doubled the price. - Yes, last year he paid more than double the previous year's charge. - Dog is over one year old now. He's not desexed. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. - Bailey only uses the footpaths and other ratepayer-funded facilities for half an hour a day. And he's a good dog. He's never been in trouble. Felix is feeling the bite and doing the numbers for Tamaki Makaurau. He reckons ` OK, 100,000 dogs times $150 registration. Let's save the discount ` 100 bucks. - They're looking at $10 million a year. Where do they go with this money? - It's a question we're all asking ` 'how does what I pay compare with other places?' We've put the questions to 67 local bodies and waded through the data. So here it is, the Fair Go challenge on council charges. Round one ` dog rego. (PLAYFUL MUSIC) - Pepper, no. Pepper! - Top price is in Tokoroa. The Lowes breed French bulldogs. They might be tiny, but they're not cheap. Oh, hello. Oh, hello. Hello. Ohhh, everybody's come to say hello. Little nip there. Just to remind me who's boss. - Oh, him? Yeah. (CHUCKLES) Oh, Frenchies are like Pringles. You get one, you can't not get another, - South Waikato District Council wants $172 a year for a domestic dog that has been neutered. - Even if you had two in town, that's what ` 344? That could feed a family for a week. - The Lowes pay less because they're on a rural property ` $432 a year in total for the pack. But they do wonder what they're getting for that. South Waikato District Council says dog rego pays nearly half of what it costs to run a superior service with rates covering the rest. The team attend every complaint in person ` roaming, barking, welfare. It also offers payment plans to spread the cost. From here, it gets cheaper, slightly. New Plymouth District Council wants $163.50 for a domestic dog that's been neutered. Porirua wants 134. Chatham Islands Council asks just $44 for that dog. Island life! Selwyn District wants 45, and the alpha dog, Kawerau, just $37 a year for registration. That is a fraction of what it costs in the big cities. And that is one reason that we here in Kawerau award the council the unofficial Fair Go value ribbon for Best in Show. Time to meet the leaders of the pack. Kawerau is so together that it's already got its next mayor lined up along with its long-running Your Worship. And we've got a little award to give them today. The top dog award for Kawerau ` the cheapest dog registration for a desexed animal in the town limits. I'd like to convey that to you with all of our best respects. And well done. - Thank you. Thank you, Garth. - Keeping the cost low means more register. From pooches the property, next on Fair Go's check list ` LIMs. Welly, Palmy and the Grey District all want over $400 for a LIM. Central Otago will charge 185, but the cheapest at 168 ` Kawerau also has the trimmest LIM. Now, that's the report that you get if you're trying to get a house. So I'd like to hand it over to you as well as I could, sir. - Thank you very much for that, Garth. - Still, 'in the K' as locals say, savings continue outside. It's also free to park here in the main street, although that is an honour that Kawerau will have to share with 46 other local authorities. It's the usual suspects charging to park ` Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and, Queenstown Lakes District Council ` don't think we can't see you either ` all want $4 to $5 an hour for main street parking. Of course, if parking fees are the reason you aren't getting your library books back on time, relax. In Auckland and Kawerau, and in 38 other places where they tell us they don't charge late fees. Napier Public Library will want $4.20 if you're a week late. It's 3.50 and half a dozen places, including back in Tokoroa at the South Waikato District Council. And many charge a fee to borrow a bestseller or hot item. Right now, this is the hottest item for councils. Why? No, not 'why.' Wai ` water. We're hearing a lot about Three Waters, but let me tell you, it's hard to find out and compare the cost of what comes out of your taps. About a third have you on a meter. Kaipara seems cheap at $4.18 for 1000 litres, or a thousand glasses of tap water for $1. But the best deal for metered water looks like Opotiki at $0.56 for 1000 litres. That's more than 7000 glasses of tap water for $1. Some councils just lump water into the rates bill, so no idea what you're paying really. Others are charging a flat fee, anything from $200 to more than $800 a year with various T's and C's. But the lowest is... Ting! Kawerau. Take a bow once more. $82? - Yes. Yes. The cheapest water supply in the country. And that's, um` don't get me going on water supply right now, please. - There's a reason they can keep things cheap ` some big businesses pay a lot of rates. But it is also part of a big vision to take care of the basics first. - It's somewhere to live; somewhere to work so that we can earn an income to create a life for our family; something to hope for so we leave something behind for our kids. And if we take care of those three things, Garth, hopefully, we can find someone to love on the journey and look after us. That's the dream. - That's appealing, but we can't stay. Back in Auckland, we have some answers for Felix. Auckland Council spends about $15 million a year managing dogs and gets 10 million of that from registrations and fees charged by the pound. Bailey's first rego was cheap because it was for what was left of that year. The good news is Felix can halve the cost next year if he passes a written test to prove he's a responsible owner. The test is free. Till then, these two will keep getting their money's worth out of the footpaths. - Pippa and I have an announcement to make ` we're both moving to Kawerau, separately with our own separate families. We're gonna be neighbours. It's gonna be great. - They were awesome. Awesome. Good on them. - Now, we'll put more of those council charges on Facebook so you can take a peak at payments in your neck of the woods. See if you're getting good value. - That's right. E haere ake nei, coming up ` They lost more than her bag. The heart-wrenching story of the missing luggage. - I am just hopeful that maybe, just maybe, I get it returned back. - And the police took the gun for safekeeping, so how could the cops lose a Colt? - He said, 'And then I'll ring you the next day and make a time for you to pick it up.' And that was the last time I ever hear from him - Kia ora, ano. Welcome back, friends. Now, we are all back flying at the moment, it seems, and we're getting a lot of feedback here at Fair Go about lost luggage. - Yes, and U.S. stats show six bags in a thousand are at least temporarily lost by airlines. - Sheesh. Not a great start to your holiday. - Oh, no. But sometimes ` like for our next viewer ` it's not about the money or the inconvenience of a lost bag, because the items are irreplaceable. Here's Logan Church. - We actually do, 'Io e au,' which means, 'I am a child of God.' - For Te Reo teacher Ginnaye, whanau is everything. (SPEAKS TE REO) - Have you called your bosses? They all right with you starting a bit later? - Yeah. Yeah, they should be all right. - Ka pai. - Semi-retired, her focus is now on passing this taonga to family,... - We're gonna do our first reo for today. So, 1 ` introduce yourself. - Ko Galien Morgan-Tahapehi toku ingoa. No ano Taumaranui ahau. - ...as well as those that needs a bit more help. Ko Logan Church toku ingoa. No Tamaki Makaurau ahau. She's loud and proud and fun. - Hang on. Are you older than me or younger than me? (LAUGHS) - I won't comment. - OK then, we'll just stick with 'toku ingoa.' - I think it's safer to say 'no comment.' But you only need to scratch the surface to see she's struggling. - It's just eaten` eaten away at me big time. Yeah. - Earlier this year, Ginnaye's nephew in Australia passed away. - So, we were waiting for his tinana to come back from Melbourne. - The family met in Wellington for his tangihanga. And Ginnaye flew from Auckland to meet them in Wellington on May 22nd. In her check-in ` absolute family treasures. - They were eight taonga all up in my bag. The first was a set of greenstone. Then I had my son's two taonga, which was a bone and a greenstone. And then he had my long white bone and I also had two other big bones that went in there. They were also gifts from whanau members that have now passed. - When she landed in Wellington, she went to the baggage carousel. - I stand there and I wait. And I wait. And I just carried on waiting until my little blue New Zealand bag came through. But nothing. - She logged her bag is missing and repeatedly emailed and called Jetstar. - READS: Hi, Ginnaye, thank you for your patience. I'm sorry we weren't able to deliver your bag to you promptly. Our team has worked hard to find your baggage. - So you've spoken to Aaron, Jovi, Zarin... - Dominique. - Dominique. And there is a Crystal. - Crystal. - Yeah. - Some of these seem like they've been copy and pasted. It feels like it. - Jetstar asked her to provide pictures of what was lost ` these are all she has ` and asked her to value these taonga. - I'm not going to go home and dig up my loved ones just to ask if they've still got the receipts. But at the end of the day, as Maori, we don't do that. How are we supposed to get prices for an heirloom that's been passed down from generation to generation, you know? - Ginnaye hasn't been able to face telling some of her family what's happened. - This is the first time my namesake, who gave me that taonga for my 40th ` she's going to find out this has happened, you know... Because I didn't know how to tell her except for reaching out to Fair Go and showing her that I've tried everything to find those taonga. All of them` all my family that will be watching. I tried my hardest to get those taonga back. - And she feels their loss every day. - I feel like I'm not worthy anymore to` to look after my Maori taonga heirlooms, you know. Uh... yeah. - This is way more than a lost bag; Ginnaye feels lost, like something's missing. She needs Jetstar to return her family's treasures. - I do hold hope that, you know, that they have... They have done what they've said they've done, you know. They've really looked. I am hopeful that maybe, just maybe, I get it returned back. (PLANE ENGINES ROAR) - Fair Go got in touch with Jetstar. We wanted it to explain exactly how a bag could be checked in here at Auckland, but be lost by the time Ginnaye's flights landed in Wellington. Jetstar sent us four sentences saying it's sorry, it understands the significance of these items, but it still can't find the luggage. But since Fair Go got involved, someone, an actual human, has reached out to Ginnaye. - Us Maori, kanohi ki te kanohi, you know? We like to either face to face, or preferably a voice to voice would be nice. Rather than just an email saying, 'Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find your...' You know? And it's like, 'Yeah, nah, I understand where you're coming from.' I was ready breakdown in tears, you know. I was actually talking to somebody and he just listened. - Now, at least, Ginnaye feels heard. But we're hoping a viewer may have some answers about where the missing items are. But in the meantime, Ginnaye feels a sense of closure. - I have. I've done everything I can. And I will be at peace knowing that this is it. This is` this is as far as I can go now, yeah. - We desperately wanted to help find that bag, didn't we? And, look, Ginnaye's obviously carrying so much guilt, and she shouldn't because here's the thing ` Jetstar had a contract with Ginnaye. It took her bags, agreed to look after them and get them from A to B. That system failed. Jetstar failed. And that's who needs to wear this one. - And it turns out Ginnaye is not the only one with lost luggage. Take a look at this from the Wetzell family photo album. - This is from brother who sent a picture of this luggage mountain at Berlin airport. And somewhere in there is his mid-size black suitcase that he was sent in to find. - Amazing you can get a Jetstar flight direct to Berlin (!) - (LAUGHS) It wasn't Jetstar. So what can you do to make sure you and your stuff are happily reunited at the end of your trip? Here's Logan again. (KENNY LOGGINS' 'DANGER ZONE' PLAYS) - Turns out, luggage going walkabout is more common than you might think. - It is quite prevalent and it's more prevalent than it was pre-COVID. - There's lots of reasons why. - Airlines are having a lot of schedule changes, not enough people and then staff getting sick with COVID. Airports are struggling to get enough baggage handlers. So there's no doubt that we're seeing more problems with luggage than we have done in the past. - Here's how to give your bags the best chance of coming on holiday with you. It sounds obvious, but make sure you use a good quality, lockable suitcase that will last the distance. And the more unique your luggage looks, the better. Join the latest trend and do DIY suitcase tracking. Snazzy little devices like this can be bought at most tech stores, from 50 bucks to hundreds for top of the range. You can pop them in and forget about them. If you're flying a lot, travel insurance is a must. Just read the T's and C's. Some won't cover things like laptops if they're not in your carry-on. And when you get to check-in,... Wrong one. ...if there is anything at all that might break, check it in is a 'fragile item.' Some airlines suggest wrapping luggage in plastic,... Yeah, I think my wallets in there. ...and as a good rule of thumb, if it's precious, keep it close. - The whole ecosystem is working as hard as we can to bring people back into our industry. Nobody likes these experiences for our customers. So I am confident that as time carries on, yes, these circumstances will improve. - Very good advice. Well done, Logan. - E haere ake nei, coming up ` we get out the big guns to look for a little gun. - It must have been before John Wayne's time. You'd have to throw it at someone to do any damage. - Nau mai, hoki mai. Welcome back. Now, this next story is about something going missing while under police protection. - Yeah, it's a pistol ` as in, like a gun ` but dont worry, as a weapon, its useless. Its well over a hundred years old and no longer fires. - But as a keepsake, well, its priceless. Here's Caro. - Bill and Carolyn are getting ready to hit the road. (WILLIE NELSON'S 'ON THE ROAD AGAIN' PLAYS) The retirees are keen adventurers. It runs in the family. - When I was a child, we had a spare bedroom and it had all old family stuff in it. And we used to go up there and play on a rainy day. - Among the worldly artefacts handed down through generations was an antique revolver. - It's an early Colt. It's a black powder gun where you got to put the little ball and powder and wad. It must have been before John Wayne's time. And you'd have to throw it at someone to do any damage. - The gun belonged to Carolyn's great-grandmother. - That gun just was in our home all the time, for all those years. - More recently, it's been in a safe in their wardrobe, which is no place for an antique with a tale to tell. So they decided to gift the pistol, along with some other heirlooms, to the Taranaki Pioneer Village in Stratford. - I grew up in Stratford. I was` my father was born in Stratford and lived in the same house all his life. - It would be a perfect fit. The pistol has a fascinating history. - The story goes that she carried this gun in her skirts. I guess for safety. Her name was Annie. - Freeze. Just a moment ` Annie? (SCOFFS) With a name like that, we'll be needing a re-enactment. You know, just to help tell the story. (GENTLE PIANO MUSIC) You see, Annie Kept her gun close. She came from England by ship in the 1880s, hiding the pistol in her petticoats. (RECORD SCRATCHES) - Cut! Cut! - What? Are you worried this looks too real. - More real than your performance. - Thank you. - Action! As I was saying, the museum was delighted with the offer. They'd never had a gun before. - The story that goes with it is stunning. Annie, yeah. Annie with the gun. (CHUCKLES) - They said, 'Is it museum certified?' - Bill rang the Palmerston North Police Station and was put through to the firearms officer. - 'Oh, I'll come out and visit you ` it's such a beautiful day ` and get out of the office.' So he came here. He seemed a decent sort of bloke and he said, 'I'll have to take that though, 'because you don't have the C endorsement on your firearms licence.' - A C endorsement means you can own a collectable firearm but not shoot it. But that wasn't the only hold-up. - And then you need a special safe for a pistol. We explained where it was going to go ` to the museum ` and he said, 'Well, you can't carry a pistol like that in your car and blah, blah, blah, and that.' - So the firearms officer took the pistol. Then the museum decided it couldn't actually afford the security measures needed to display the gun. I mean, it's not exactly Te Papa. - And the cabinet has to be almost indestructible and things like that, but it just gets to be an onerous duty at that point. And you're saying, 'Well, we haven't got the resources.' - With everyone feeling just a little overwhelmed, Bill and Carolyn decided to get the gun back from police. - He said, 'I'll get it certified as black powder tomorrow, 'and then I'll ring you the next day 'and make a time for you to pick it up.' And that was the last time I ever heard from him. - Bill has banged off emails, even visited the station. - I would have rung them at least maybe 15, 20 times. - We're both frustrated about the situation. That's when I said to the wife, 'I'll make a little email and send it to Fair Go.' CHUCKLES: And here you are. Here, so. - So Fair Go fired off an email to New Zealand Police asking why they were giving Bill and Carolyn the run-around. And then, like a shot... (PHONE VIBRATES) Wow, that's less than an hour. They've phoned the family and made arrangements to surrender the pistol. And here at Police HQ,... - Yay! - ...the gun's now been registered as an antique... (GUN CLICKS) - Whoa, look at that. It just went off. - ...and will be offered to the Stratford Museum for display. - Very happy ending to this story. - So, 140 years after Annie and her gun arrived, two years after her family last saw it,... - Go again! - ...a few days after this re-enactment,... I forgot my bag. ...the pistol is back. Just in time for Bill and Carolyn's next excellent adventure. (UPLIFTING MUSIC) - It's the same issue with Jetstar and the New Zealand Police; it's that they're not listening. People are trying to contact them ` they're trying the call centre; they're trying the emails. And you aren't listening at the other` there must be another way. I think we ban emails and call centres and have people manning booths. - (LAUGHS) - We need to go back to booths. - Just go and see the booth. Great idea (!) Right, that's us for tonight. Quite a rollercoaster, I think you'll agree. - (LAUGHS) But we're around all week in all the usual places. We've got a booth (!) We don't have a booth. - We're on social media. Go to our webpage, tvnz.co.nz/shows/fair-go Email us ` fairgo@tvnz.co.nz Or write to us ` almost a booth ` P.O. Box 3819, Auckland 1140. - Thank you for watching. Hello to all our fans in Kawerau. We'll see you there next week (!) Until next week, - BOTH: Po marie.