Lloyd Elsmore Skatepark upgrade open for public feedback

Excited to see the long awaited upgrade for the Lloyd Elsmore Park skatepark out for public consultation.

While the surface was tidied up a few years ago, the design and age of the old skatepark mean it's unlikely to meet the needs of the community. The proposal is the replace it with something better suited for modern wheeled play while providing space for future expansion.

We've asked our staff to work with key stakeholders like East Skate Club and it's great to see their proactive involvement helping shape this proposal.

We'd love your feedback on the proposal!

We are seeking feedback on the concept design.

• what features you like?

• what features you would change?

• any other ideas or feedback for the skatepark upgrade.

Please have your say online here https://tinyurl.com/3mtsn2pp

Consultation closes: 22 December 2023.

Flat Bush deserves the Library and Community Centre it’s been promised for almost two decades

The Flat Bush and Ormiston area has numerous schools and is anticipated to have a population of 40,000 by 2025, yet it has no community facilities or library. Just last week I was at a community event in Flat Bush where locals were asking when the facility was going to be delivered. Residents are understandably upset at waiting so long for a facility that still has no firm timeline. They want to know when they will get the facility that their growing community so desperately needs.

Community facilities were meant to be opened at the same time as the Ormiston Town Centre, but when the ribbons were cut on the retail centre in March 2021, there was no sign of the library or community centre. Promised back in 2005 by the former Manukau City Council and then by the current Auckland Council, locals were asked for input in 2012 and again in 2017.

Over nearly two decades hundreds of locals have provided their feedback that they need this facility. What they want now is action, not more talk or empty promises. Facilities like this are more than just buildings with books - they’re the heart of communities, providing meeting spaces and support for community services and organisations.”

This election has highlighted the impact the lack of facilities has on engagement - there is no location in Flat Bush for residents to drop off their voting papers, with the nearest collection points in Botany and Otara.

The Howick Local Board have been strong advocates for this project making it their One Local Initiative, but Auckland Council has failed to provide the funding or support to address the community's need.

The project was apparently delayed as a result of the dreadful 2020 Emergency Budget when council’s financial mismanagement caught up with them. But if this project was ever going to meet its deadline of 2021 it needed to be much further along by then, which begs the question if council had any idea where this project was at.

Again in 2022 councillors voted to defer the project as part of the adoption of the Annual Budget. Neither incumbent Howick Ward councillors voted against the motion or bothered to note their objection to the further delay. There has been no communication of this to the community and the timeline remains unclear.

Auckland Council have said that work is due to recommence in 2024 but given the financial situation it’s likely that it will need to be delayed again unless we get representatives who will fight for East Auckland.

If elected, I will fight to get this project delivered sooner and ensure that the timeline is communicated to the community.

Flat Bush has waited long enough - voting papers will be received soon which is the opportunity to vote for change.

Auckland Council mismanagement is costing us more

"Aucklanders may face higher than expected rates rises in future, some services may be cut, and major uncommitted projects delayed as worsening council finances hit the drawing-up of this year’s council Budget.

A continuing fall in revenue has pushed the council’s losses due to Covid-19 to $900 million, and a raft of previously unflagged measures are possible."

- Auckland Council budget: Grim warning of worsening finances as losses hit $900m Stuff 13 April 2022

Imagine how different Auckland would look if our elected representatives hadn't wasted the first 10 years of the super city on vanity projects and bickering.

Goff wasted $935k on a secret report for a waterfront stadium that we don't need nor can afford. Now he's selling our local parks to balance the books.

He and almost every councillor wasted millions on the Wynyard Tram, now they're cutting services because we have no funds.

They declared a climate emergency in 2019, then put up public transport fares again & again while approving plans that increased our carbon emissions. As he leaves, Goff finally proposes some real action but he wants more money to do it and still can't say what the impact will be.

When I bang on about the appalling financial mismanagement at council, it's not for nothing. This is what happens - it has serious, long term impacts on our city, our neighbourhoods, our community.

I love this city, I just wish all our councillors cared just a little bit more

Auckland Council Budget 2022/2023 consultation feedback to Howick Local Board

As part of the Auckland Council budget consultation, the Howick Local Board hosted an online public forum. The following is a rough transcript of what I said in my 3 minutes:

Kia ora.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak, I will do my best to stay on topic and on time. Given the short window, I’ll focus on one regional and two linked local priorities.

Firstly I’m encouraged by the increased focus on climate action. As noted earlier, our goal is to reduce our emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. With less than 8 years left to deliver this massive change, we need to significantly increase action.

It’s good to see that we’re getting some improvements to the East Auckland public transport services, including more frequent services through Ormiston and Flat Bush.

The Budget proposes $144m for Cycling and $84m for walking which is great but is very light on the details of where this will happen. I understand that Auckland Transport is still finalising the plan for both active modes and I encourage the Howick Local Board to make sure that our area does not miss out on these opportunities.

Like one of the previous speakers, I have questioned the lack of carbon reduction targets or estimates - $1 Billion dollars is a lot of money to invest without knowing the impact. I’m not suggesting it’s too much, in fact I suspect it won’t be near enough to undo the damage that we continue to do to our environment. But the proposal represents a massive increase on previous funding and by ring fencing it we can have more confidence that it will deliver so I support it.

Onto the local priorities and I wanted to speak to both the greater focus on renewal and maintenance of assets and the need for the skatepark and other wheeled play at Lloyd Elsmore Park.

As some of you are aware, I’m involved with East Skate Club. While I’m not here formally speaking on their behalf, I do want to take this opportunity to endorse the need for a proper skatepark facility for our community. 

I acknowledge the minor refurbishment that the HLB delivered which has improved the safety of the park. However, it’s still very small and outdated - ten kids and it’s full. It lacks basic facilities like toilets, water and shade. There is no pedestrian access, forcing kids to walk on the road which is unbelievably unsafe. In its current form it is in no way fit-for-purpose.

COVID has reminded us how important it is to have outdoor recreational options in our neighbourhoods. There are some amazing skateparks around, the success of the skatepark in Sir Barry Curtis Park is proof enough. If we create good spaces for our tamariki they will attract not just locals, but also people from all across the city. A decent skatepark will not just help locals, but also encourage people to visit East Auckland, bringing visitors and much needed revenue to our local businesses.

In order to be successful, the planning and design must include the users - skaters, kids of all ages. This will take time so the sooner we start the better. Thank you for including this as a priority.

Thank you.

I’m still working through the formal consultation process and will post a copy of my submission in the next few days.

The budget consultation will close at 5pm on Monday 28 March 2022. Details on the proposal and ways to have your say can be found at akhaveyoursay.nz/budget

First thoughts on Auckland Council's 2022 Budget

First thoughts on the Auckland Council draft budget - better than the previous attempts but still not great. Given that this will probably be Goff's last, I thought he might try for something bigger, bolder - apparently I was too optimistic.

I want to be excited about extra funding for climate action, but it's 3 years since they voted to declare a climate emergency with little action since.

I do acknowledge and thank those councillors who've been fighting hard for more action, appreciate everything you do. But overall the response by the governing body is weak. If the entirety of council hasn't been refocused to deliver climate action, then I don't understand what council thinks an emergency means. Same goes for AT's approach to Vision Zero - either everyone is delivering to this strategy or it'll never happen.

We need to reduce our climate emissions and for Auckland the largest contributor is transport. Most of this is private vehicle use, which will not be fixed by electric vehicles (will take decades, too expensive and congestion remains). We need systemic mode shift to public transport & active modes. Now.

Predictable yet still disappointing response from one of my local councillors who, despite being one of the longest serving members, still seems to have little grasp of how transport funding works or how desperate we are for investment in East Auckland.

As always, talk of "average rates rise" is misleading, since the actual impact varies significantly. I'm sure this will be the focus for many, but there's far more to a budget than just the average rates. More broadly endless rates rises are unsustainable - we desperately need reform of local govt funding to incentivise the right outcomes.

All that said, the devil is always in the detail and I look forward to the release of the public consultation documents on Feb 28 (let's hope we get the information we need to make informed decisions).

Auckland Council finances still don't add up

Major transport projects like the Eastern Busway have been delayed because Auckland Council told us they didn't have the money to fund it. Yet the NZ Herald has revealed that council is sitting on $285 million of unspent regional fuel tax earmarked for transport.

“Auckland Council is sitting on a $285 million goldmine, after it failed to spend nearly half the money it raked in thanks to the regional fuel tax.

In 2018, the Government introduced an additional tax on fuel sold in Auckland of 10c a litre (with GST taking the figure to 11.5c) to help the council fund transport projects in the city.

But according to data from the council, as of December 2021, less than half of the $515 million raked in by the tax has actually been spent, leaving the council with a $285m tax surplus.”

— NZ Herald 26 Jan 2022

Meanwhile this very same council is busy selling off our parks and community centres using the excuse they don't have enough money. The hearings for the East Auckland parks (Golflands Park, Fortyfoot Park, and Aberfeldy Park) have been delayed again and again, but council are still determined to sell them.

Even before the pandemic is was clear we needed more public space and it's even more important now.

Selling parks and reserves won't fix anything

Stunning Saturday afternoon for a community meeting in Aberfeldy Park in Highland Park. Sadly this park is on the list for potential sale under Auckland Council's so called "asset recycling" programme which will see over $224m in community assets sold.

While I'm not ideologically opposed to asset sales, selling our reserves and greenspaces is something else entirely. As our city continues to grow and housing is intensified, these spaces become more important. Once gone, we'll never get them back. It's short sighted and fails to address the issues of waste and misspending.

Disappointed that neither of our Councillors could be there to hear concerns and explain their part in the decision making. Both voted for the asset sale programme in the Emergency Budget, although they did vote against the sale of these specific parks in a later meeting.

Big thank you to local MPs Christopher Luxon and Simeon Brown for organising the meeting, making sure that locals are aware of the issue and are heard.

Formal consultation is due to start sometime in February and locals are coordinating to ensure everyone is able to respond with full and complete information.

Inaction, waste mar the first decade of Super City - NZ Herald

"After a decade of vanity projects, wasteful spending and empty gestures, Auckland Council’s abysmal financial management is finally catching up with it. While some may delight in its downfall, the residents and ratepayers are left to face the brunt of its inept management."

On Monday the NZ Herald published an opinion piece from me about the spending issues at Auckland Council.

Like many Aucklanders, I'm frustrated that Council has wasted it's first decade with poor financial decisions and missed opportunities. Basics like park maintenance, road safety and public transport have suffered while money was poured into vanity projects. We're now facing a massive revenue shortfall and services are being cut, while rates and debt continues to rise.

Soon Auckland Council will begin it's consultation on the next Long Term Plan for the next 10 years. We need to ensure that we get our priorities right, or we'll be having this same discussion in another decade.

My opinion piece in the NZ Herald Monday 30 November 2020

Selling land is short sighed

“The council’s finance and performance committee voted in September to dispose of a swath of council-owned properties across the city. The move is part of an effort to raise $224 million from “asset recycling” through the council’s emergency budget.”

This was one of my major issues with the Emergency Budget - a firesale of over $200m worth of assets is extremely shortsighted and will do nothing for the long term viability of our city.

I'm not ideologically opposed to asset sales - sometimes it makes sense to sell some unused land to fund something better and more useful for the community. But selling them to fund a shortfall in revenue means we're loosing out, especially when it's clear that even this massive selloff will do little to plug the gap. There's also a very real concern that the timing of these sales and the volume will only hurt the value of the properties, further reducing the return.

These decisions are being made without consideration of the long term plans for the area. The decision to sell has disregarded local feedback, including the Howick Local Board which was extremely clear (and fair) in their feedback. Panuku (Auckland Council's development arm responsible for managing this process) have a long history of being extremely opaque and I echo the concerns of many that this process won't result in good outcomes.

It's great to see that our two councillors (who voted for the Emergency Budget) have now voted against these sales. It's also good to see two of our local MPs are adding their voice to this.

Council should be investing in the safety of our children

Last night was the Howick Local Board meeting for November, a little over a year after the new Board was sworn in. A lot has changed since then and our elected representatives have had to tackle some tough challenges, including a global pandemic that not only changed how we live and work, but also massively impacted the council’s revenue streams and therefore its ability to operate.

There's been plenty of coverage over Auckland Council’s financial troubles, the drastic (and in my view poorly considered) cuts to the city budget earlier this year far from over.  Even if the COVID19 vaccines are as successful as we all hope, it'll be sometime before council revenue returns to its previous levels - the cuts will be here for a while.

One of the worst decisions was to cut back the road safety funding, including the end of the Community Safety Fund - once the flagship of the Vision Zero programme. Dropping this not only sent the wrong message that we should simply accept more deaths and serious injuries to save a few dollars, but also put critical projects at risk.

Once such project was the Flatbush School Road bridge. Once a small rural backroad, this area has grown quickly with massive housing developments and a new school, Te Uho o te Nikau Primary. Sharing this tiny bridge with increasing traffic, including large trucks, put the students at risk. I witnessed the dedication and persistence of the school as they turned up at every Howick Local Board meeting asking for action. After far too much debate over which part of Auckland Council would fund the project, it ended up with the Community Safety Fund. As the process rolled on, COVID hit and the Emergency Budget saw the end of the fund, leaving the bridge in question.

One silver lining from last night's meeting is that this critical project will continue, funded by Auckland Transport directly. A small delay due to consenting means the bridge should be done in February or March 2021. Great news for the Board, Management and Parents of Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School who worked so hard to keep their students safe.

It's a good news story for these students, although it should’ve come sooner. But too many other children around Auckland still have no safe walking or cycling options. On Twitter yesterday I saw parents lamenting the lack of safe access to schools across the city. While there is some work underway, it’s small programmes and pilots - nothing that will seriously shift the gears into action.

I appreciate that this year has left Auckland Council with less ability to respond to issues. But this only highlights the need to get these projects done earlier, quicker and with urgency. Imagine if we'd spent the $900k wasted on yet another stadium report on improving safety around our schools? Or the $10m given away to Eden Park? Or whatever AT Local cost? 

We've got our priorities wrong Auckland, keeping our kids safe should be at the top of the list. More students walking and cycling is better for congestion, the environment and children’s health. Instead our city gets distracted with half-baked ideas for waterfront stadiums. We need to focus on real priorities, cut the fluff and get on with it.

Auckland Council's ineffective governance of CCOs

Auckland's Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) account for 2/3 of the services provided to the public, control 2/3 of councils assets and make up half the operational budget.

Considering the massive impact they have on our daily lives, you'd imagine that they would be a top priority for Council. But in reality "council’s many plans, policies and strategies offer almost no practical strategic direction to CCOs."

In fact "in some crucial areas – such as water, property and arts and culture – there is no strategy at all." Perhaps caused by "a lack of commitment by some councillors" and the "insufficient face-to-face discussion and meaningful dialogue between CCOs and the governing body".

Those aren't my words (although I agree with them wholeheartedly) - these quotes come from the CCO Review that recently found that the "council’s governance of, and liaison with, CCOs is not working as it should". This is no surprise to Aucklanders who have to live with the erratic performance of these organisations, battling between silos and getting very little in response. And it's not just us, with CCOs "not sufficiently responsive to local boards’ concerns".

Yesterday Auckland Council formally adopted all of the 64 recommendations from the review. Of those, 25 are to be progressed over the next 6 months while the others will be worked through with the CCOs and local boards. This is undeniably great news and is a significant step forward.

How much actually changes, only time will tell. But when you look through the recommendations, it's disappointing to see that there are clearly significant gaps in basic governance and accountability.

This isn't a dig at the recommendations - they're solid. But it shouldn't take public outcry and a costly external review to agree that "quarterly meetings of council and CCO executive leadership teams have a formal agenda". That's basic business practice not followed and it gets worse as the review goes on.

Auckland Transport and Watercare are constantly criticised for their maintenance and lack of planning, yet only now will they "submit their asset management plans and detailed supporting information to the council every year so it can assess how well the plans give effect to its urban growth strategy." It's no wonder that our infrastructure isn't coping with our rapid growth, despite all the election promises we heard.

At the risk of sound like a stuck record, Auckland Council lacks proper governance and oversight. Many of the councillors elected have little to no business experience, yet they're responsible for one of the largest budgets in the country (second only to central government). Perhaps this review will be a wake-up call for those charged with governing our city? Past performance says that's unlikely, but I'm always hopeful for our city.

Read the full review here: https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/council-controlled-organisations/Documents/CCO-review.pdf

Read the Governing Body decision here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/articles/news/2020/08/council-agrees-cco-review-recommendations/

Howick Local Board feedback on Emergency Budget

On Thursday evening last week I attended a special Howick Local Board meeting. Timed to allow the members to consider feedback from locals on the proposed Emergency Budget before it goes to council.

Some interesting insights into some of the 2,549 responses from the Howick Local Board area. 51% voted for a 2.5% increase, while 27% voted for a 3.5% increase. 65% voted in favour of the rates postponement scheme and 72% for the suspension of the targeted accommodation rate and it’s linked tourism projects. Some other themes that came out which I’d love to explore in more detail at some stage.

The Board responded with feedback not just to the main questions, but in quite a bit of detail which was good to see. I did live tweet the decisions but there were a lot to cover (took 3 hours) and I'd prefer to wait till the minutes were up. Here are a couple of highlights

• only support 3.5% rates increase based on the impact that 2.5% would have on ability for council to deliver and with proviso's to limit asset sales;

• only support reduction in Local Board Transport funding if Community Safety Fund is retained;

• do no support the delay to Ormiston Community Centre and Library;

• do not support deferrals in stormwater projects, especially where intended to address immediate risk to people or property;

• asked for more meaningful engagement with Local Boards and Community on any further decisions especially asset sales, transport and changes to facilities.

While I didn't agree with every decision made, it was good to see some healthy debate and the detailed response. Faced with such a stark and messy proposal, it would be easy to respond in kind but I felt the Board was trying to be constructive and realistic.

This was most obvious when responding to the proposal to sell an additional $200m in assets - the Board noted concerns that the timing would mean council was unlikely to maximise its return and that the Board needed more information to make informed decisions. Where the Board had already worked with Panuku, they could actively challenge the sale or in a few cases, support the sale.

It will be interesting to see what other local boards have said, I suspect there will be some common themes. Ultimately this is a decision by the Governing Body of Auckland Council which is made up of the Mayor and 20 Councillors (2 for Howick). Auckland Council is reviewing the feedback and making their decision on Thursday 16th July. I'll be there and will report back.

Submission on Auckland Council Emergency Budget

This is my submission on the Auckland Council Emergency Budget.

General rates increase for 2020/2021

3.5 per cent average general rates increase

While I do not support endless rises in rates, we cannot afford to be cutting mores services or investment. The proposed cuts as a result of a 2.5% increase mean even more drastic cuts that we cannot afford.

Rates postponement for ratepayers impacted by COVID-19

I support the proposal

COVID19 has hit households very differently and some will definitely need support. For those ratepayers that do take this up, consideration should be given to a progressive payment plan so they are not hit with 2 years worth of rates in a year. Also the impact of COVID19 will reach beyond the next 12 months so this may need further extension.

Suspending the targeted rate paid by accommodation providers

I support the proposal

With international tourism suspended, it's absolutely sensible to suspend this and the projects it was meant to fund.

Other feedback - what is important to you? (limited to 4000 characters)

The proposed budget is really disappointing. It lacks vision, is extremely short sighted and consultation has been poor.

I appreciate it was written with urgency, but the gaps highlight the need for better disciplines within council. Projects have been cancelled or delayed because council has been too slow to get them underway, while less important work continues. Many programmes cut will have a greater impact than just economic, especially climate change actions, infrastructure and environmental management. 

I strongly disagree with cuts to;

• public transport, which will lead to more congestion, more emissions and less mobility for many who rely on these services;

• transport safety initiatives and "compromised" Community Safety Fund which will lead to more deaths and injuries;

• 80-90% renewals for buildings, playgrounds and open spaces, many already in a dreadful state;

• preventative Watercare maintenance, which will lead to more flooding and waterway contamination;

• biodiversity programmes like pest eradication, Kauri Dieback and grants;

• Climate Change and Emission reduction programmes like electric buses and response fund;

• Local Board discretionary spending which will hurt communities.

I disagree with selling massive amounts of assets, especially during an economic downturn when values are lower. This looks like a thinly veiled attempt to sell assets in a fire sale, using the economic crisis as a weak excuse. Panuku Development Auckland largely operates outside of public view which must change - every decision to consider an asset for sale must be done with robust consultation and informed choice, including Local Boards.

I'm deeply disappointed in the consultation process. While the documents do a decent job of laying out the challenges, they don’t fully explain the options or cuts. There are critical details buried in the supporting document, which is difficult to read and not aligned. It has been extremely difficult to get answers to basic questions, often to clarify information that should already be available. For example vague statements around reduced funds for the Eastern Busway seemed to suggest there would be a delay or reduction in scope. I asked the Mayor, Councillors, staff on the webinar and the Local Board before I got an answer from AT. A simple explanation would have explained that this was a good news story, with Council committed to a critical project.

The world has changed dramatically, but this consultation followed the same old thinking. There was very little attempt to engage in other ways, especially given the history of poor diversity in council consultation. Burying details in a PDF isn't engaging or accessible. Community webinars weren’t well advertised, answered few questions and inexplicably required registration two days prior. These should have been opportunities for discussion, but they were largely one way and ended early. I didn't get answers to questions until 10 days later, 2 days before feedback closed.

While it's good to see efficiency and improvement projects, it's too little too late. These should’ve started years ago, with serious focus on delivering value and reducing waste, instead we’ve lost a decade. Organisations should always look to improve, but a health and economic crisis isn’t a great time to start.

With estimates putting the gap for local government at $1.5b, Auckland Council is not alone but there is only a small mention of government engagement and support. One of the promises of the supercity was a stronger relationship with government, we haven't seen it.

The economic future is unknown and the budget must be reviewed throughout the year and if funding increases, we must revisit cut programmes and reinstate them as possible. There should be a prioritised plan of projects that can be kick-started immediately if funding is available from revenue or government.

Auckland is a fantastic place to live, we can and must do better than this budget.

What Auckland Council's proposed Emergency Budget means for East Auckland

I’ve previously noted that the proposed Emergency Budget for Auckland is drastic. And given the current and looming economic outlook, it needs to be. While there are plenty of people claiming to have crystal balls, the reality is that there is a significant uncertainty about the economic future.

Therefore Auckland Council has decided to use what they believe is the most likely scenario and is expecting a massive drop in revenue ($525m) which means they’ve had to recut the budget. Most of the missing revenue isn’t from rates ($65m), but from other revenue sources such as Ports of Auckland ($65m) and Auckland Airport ($60m) as well as less transport ($120m), less building ($70m) and reduced recreation ($80m).

Balancing the budget - less revenue means more debt

Hopefully these will only be short-term reductions but unlike the government, which can just continue to borrow, Council is required by law to attempt to balance the budget. Council is increasing it’s borrowing to the maximum, while in theory focusing investment on which will have the greatest economic stimulus and recovery. In the short term, debt will grow to 290% for one year (breaking their banking covenant) before dropping down to 270%. Council has said that because it’s short term with a planned return to below the maximum, the banks are willing to accept it.

But even with record borrowing, there just isn’t the revenue to maintain the capital investment or operating expenditure so there are cuts to both. The Mayor had proposed a 3.5% average rates increase but given the need to review the budget, Council has also considered what an average increase of 2.5% would look like.

Less than 2.5% would mean no capital programme unless the project was already underway as well as many $100m more in reduced services. The short fall would mean a greater potential impact on credit ratings which can mean worse interest rates and restricted borrowing potential in future. 

So all three options means cutting services and projects, some more critical than others. Some have suggested we solve this by cutting the pay of the executive, but half the staff would need to go to cover $525m which would reduce services well below the proposed cuts. And there are cuts - 868 staff have already taken a voluntary salary pay cut, including 32 under the $100k threshold.

What this means for East Auckland and beyond

The consultation document doesn’t do a bad job of laying out the challenges, but there’s a lot of details missing, buried deep in the details (including a 113 page supporting document). I’ve been working through it all, noting the city wide impacts and anything specific for East Auckland. I’ve used the same categories as the consultation document, although there is some crossover (especially in the environmental space). I have not captured everything and I strongly recommend that you take a look at the consultation document.

Transport

While not consulting on a 0% increase, the document notes that that would mean reduced road and footpath maintenance standards for a year, with potential risks to safety and whole of life costs. Maintenance activities such as fixing pot-holes, repairing cracked surfaces and repairs of road side furniture would be delayed until they are deemed to be critical.

Last night I finally got an sensible answer to the Eastern Busway funding - there has been a delay to purchasing of properties for the Pakuranga to Botany stage which will save money now and be funded in the near future. This won’t delay the delivery of the project or any of the stages which is good - this should’ve been laid out in the document and avoided a lot of headaches. 

The details on the Community Safety Fund are lacking - this was once the flagship safety programme for Auckland. We don’t know what this means for Botany Downs Secondary College or Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School which were both meant to get safety improvements for students funded through this programme.

The cuts to transport are particularly painful when the Howick ward has historically under spent it’s allocation - for years we missed opportunities to address safety and congestion. Most of that funding will now be gone or under tighter restrictions while we’re left with those same issues.

Water, wastewater and stormwater

Given the current drought and water shortages, it’s good to see that there are no major cuts here. Although concerning to see reduction in preventative maintenance and capital programmes - if anything we need more, not less focus in this area.

Parks and Community

Some pretty big assumptions in here about drop off in people wanting to attend events, which I don’t think will hold out. Many of our parks and community assets are already in a dreadful state and further deferrals will not help. But selling off assets for short term gains needs to be done very carefully.

I’ve questioned the spend on the America’s Cup especially given that the economic payoff is break even, but I suspect we’re locked into contracts already.

City Centre and Local Development

Panuku largely runs outside of the public’s view so I doubt many will notice the cuts. We really need to know what is happening with Ormiston but Council has not responded to queries.

Economic and Cultural Development

Zero percent would mean further cuts would be made to economic development activities and Council say “this would put economic recovery of the region at risk”.

Some reasonable cuts here, again based on assumption that there will be less demand. I know ATEED has a mixed past, but ensuring our economy recovery is quick and steady will need resourcing. Much stronger oversight needed to ensure we’re getting a good return on this.

Environmental management and regulation

Zero percent would mean delaying the climate change initiatives proposed in the first round of consultation and not resuming inorganic collection services leading to increased illegal dumping.

It’s great to see investment into automation and process improvement, although it shouldn't take an economic crisis to get underway. Auckland Council has never excelled at ensuring compliance to regulations and I’m concerned that we’ll see more issues with damage to our waterways and environment.

Council Support

I suspect there are a lot more efficiencies that can be gained here, although some are structural which can’t be addressed without dealing with the CCOs. Some of that will mean convincing parliament to pass legislation, which they haven’t shown any interest in.

So what does this mean for rates?

Council has just signed a new contract for the collection of refuse in the former Auckland City Council and Manukau City Council areas. The cost of the new contract has risen so the refuse rate will also be increasing. For context other parts of the city pay for their refuse collection with $3.95 bin tags each time they put their rubbish out.

Rates postponement scheme

Auckland Council is proposing a rates postponement scheme, which will be open to

• residential and lifestyle ratepayers with a mortgage

• financially stressed business and farm ratepayers. 85% of businesses.

• Not-for-profit applications for residential property will not be required to have a mortgage

If you’re eligible, you’re able to postpone the first $20k (GST incl) of rates and carry forward up to $5k (GST incl) of any rates Q4. Applications can be made up until 31 December 2020 to allow time to fully understand situation.

In summary - a crisis budget

The proposed budget is drastic, cutting a lot of short term capital and operational expenditure. It’s tempting to suggest that this will mean less waste at council, but that wasn’t the focus of the proposal. There are some efficiency programmes planned which is great, but improvements should have been started years ago, not waited for a crisis.

I’m deeply concerned about the cuts to safety programmes, environmental management and public transport which will all have an impact beyond just money. I worry about our parks and community centres, already in a sorry state and further starved of funds they will become liabilities.

The missing information on the Community Safety Fund and Ormiston Town Centre make it difficult to fully understand the impact. I asked about these over a week ago and four days from when feedback closes I still don’t have an answer.

Driven by a looming economic crisis, quick decisions need to be made. But as we better understand the situation, we must reconsider investment. We must also take this as an opportunity to reflect on what we haven’t done when times were better - had we focused on park renewals, investment in transport and improving efficiencies we wouldn’t be so short today.

This budget is more than just a reflection of the economic realities, it’s also a portrait of a council that lacks discipline and robust governance. The public is being asked to respond to incomplete information, with cuts to what can be cut (rather than what should) and an ever growing backlog of under investment in infrastructure.

Feedback is open until midnight on Friday 19 June 2020.

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/topics-you-can-have-your-say-on/emergency-budget/

Auckland Council's proposed emergency budget is drastic

With everything that has been happening, we've become accustomed to drastic action in the face of a crisis. But even still, the proposed Auckland Council emergency budget is still a shock.

"Cutting road safety projects like fixing high risk intersections and pedestrian crossings. Stalling a much-heralded conversion to electric buses - a totem of the council's climate change commitments. Selling $200m in public land and assets. Putting off the city-wide revaluation of all properties."

Tim Murphy: Auckland’s budget cuts: a half billion too far - Newsroom

I have no doubt that some will proclaim this as a victory, as if this is just council forced to reduce spending to focus on core services. But this isn't how you improve cost effectiveness, reduce bureaucracy or focus on core services. I've worked in business improvement for over a decade and positive change comes through sustained focus, good disciplines and innovative thinking. This isn't that - it's an emergency response to a crisis, survival mode.

It's also true that businesses are being forced to make tough decisions - as the person who led the development of our new business plan at work, I know this well. But while there are areas where council could be more business-like, it's not a business. The impact of this budget will be felt for sometime, especially with cuts to environmental management and regulation (which has never been a strength for Auckland Council).

We’re being asked to consider the option of a 3.5% or 2.5% rate increase which is about $1.82 or $1.35 per week extra. We're paying more but will still see significant cuts into the operating and capital budgets over the next year to account for the massive drop in revenue. While Auckland Council has worked to leverage alternative incomes, there are limited options and those have been hit hard. I sympathise with the staff and councillors who have had to make some tough calls and still had to ask for an increase to rates. We cannot continue to rely on endless rates rises, but the blame lies with central government who have ignored those of us calling for local government funding reform.

Government has allocated themselves billions for economic recovery and a decent proportion of this should go towards local government. While Auckland is budgeting to be down $525m in revenue, estimates put the total nationwide gap for all councils at around $1b. A terrifying number for local government but less so for central government. Compared to the countries in the OECD, New Zealand ranks among the lowest in terms of the proportion of local government revenue that comes from grants and subsidies given by central governments.

It’s an election year and with UnitedFuture no longer around to champion localism, I’m hoping that the other parties pick up on the urgent need for local government funding reform. In the meantime, Aucklanders need to make sure their voice is heard by council.

We have until June 19 to respond online at akhaveyoursay.nz/emergency-budget, by phoning 09 301 0101 or visiting a council service centre or library.

I’m hoping to finish reading through all the materials this weekend and will post more details on the specific impacts on East Auckland.

COVID19 calls for new approach to Council budget and rates

COVID19 has required an unprecedented response at all levels of government and local council is not immune. As the health and economic impacts of the pandemic are beginning be understood, it's clear that we need to rethink our short term plans.

Despite significant support from the government, many households will find themselves struggling and it's entirely appropriate that council reconsiders it's budget. This week Councillors had a very long and detailed discussion about priorities for Council.

“Auckland Council will consult with the public on a rate increase of 2.5 or 3.5 per cent. For the average ratepayer, a 2.5 per cent increase would be equivalent to an extra $1.35 per week, while a 3.5 per cent increase would be $1.83 per week."

The Accommodation Provider Targeted Rate (aka Hotel Tax) is being suspended while there is no tourism and all ratepayers experiencing financial hardship will have chance to to defer payment of their fourth quarter rates installments.

Council will also do work to understand what a zero percent increase would mean for services. All of this will go out for public consultation. See the financial report here.

On top this, the chief executives of Auckland Council and its five council-controlled organisations will take a pay cut of 20 per cent for the next six months. Board chairs, directors and senior executives have volunteered pay cuts. See the announcement here.

The Mayor and many Councillors have also volunteered to donate a portion of their salary to charity (there isn't a method to reduce their pay).

Auckland Airport shortchanges Auckland ratepayers

Thanks to the poor actions of Auckland Airport, Auckland Council "lost an immediate $18 million in the value of its shareholding last week, and had missed a $70m gain".

Auckland Council holds the largest share of the Auckland International Airport but these have been diluted as a result of this sudden decision. This is on the top of a drop in value in shares as the airport struggles with the lack of flights.

I can appreciate that businesses need to make quick steps in this unprecedented time, but to not include your largest and longest investor in these is extremely poor.

As a result of Councillor Chris Darby's quick actions, Auckland Council will be looking into how they can improve oversight into a significant investment, hopefully preventing a repeat. Strangely, five councillors voted against this - seemingly happy with the lack of oversight and resulting loss for ratepayers.

Local businesses essential to East Auckland

Did you know that the 2,000 businesses in East Tamaki employ 30,000 people and contributes $3 billion to New Zealand's economy.

This massive growth is partly thanks to the great work by the Greater East Tāmaki Business Association (GETBA).

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with their General Manager Jane Tongatule to discuss the challenges and opportunities that their organisation and members face.

Jane and her team do a fantastic job of supporting the members and advocating on their behalf. Lots of great improvements thanks to their hard work but always more that Council can do better to help support this essential commercial and industrial area.

Lloyd Elsmore Skate Park in desperate need of upgrade

Lloyd Elsmore has a skate park but its in desperate need of attention. A small group of us caught up this afternoon to see what can be done.

It doesn't take an expert to see that the skate park is tired. There's big cracks and splits in the concrete, the rails are worn and the surface is rough which wears down tires (and riders if they fall off).

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There were some kids using the park and they all said the same thing - it's boring and old. Many had been down to Barry Curtis Park but Lloyd Elsmore is closer.

We spoke to a mother and local teacher who asked for some basic facilities - there's currently no water, toilets or shade. Even getting access to the skate park isn't easy with no parking or footpath access. She wanted her teenagers to be able to come down and play, but she didn't feel safe letting them do this. There's no lighting around the skate park and there have been issues.

The Howick Local Board is aware of the problems and have some work underway to review all sports facilities in the area. But if we want this to improve we need to show the support for it. You can do this via the Facebook page.

Rail is so worn and sunken it’s no use to anyone

Auckland's growth needs to be managed so local voice not lost

It's no secret that Auckland has been growing at a tremendous rate, in many cases faster than our infrastructure can keep up with. It's put a massive strain on our housing, transport, water and environment as well as the people who live here.

The good news is that the growth has slowed from 43,000 new residents a year, the bad news is that it's now 30,000 people. This is a significant drop but still represents a massive growth challenge for any city, especially one that has not kept pace with the growth so far.

It's awesome that people want to live in Auckland, it's not perfect but it's a great city. I love it here & understand why others want to come here too. But we need to take deliberate action to plan for this growth, including investing in our infrastructure.

Funding is a significant challenge, endless rates rises is not a sustainable solution to massive long term growth. It's good that the council has identified some alternative funding but we need a significant shift if we're going to see real investment. I've long advocated for rates reform and will continue to do so until we get a step change in how our cities and regions are supported.

Auckland Council has made some cost savings which is positive but there always more to find. Large organisations will always have efficiencies to be uncovered, especially as technology and processes evolve. This article mentions that "total savings over the next decade are estimated at $565m - with a further half billion dollars to be reached "in cost avoidance and savings" through the capital programme." which is good to hear. It's great that the CEO understands that it's essential that they constantly ask themselves "can we do even better". Most Aucklanders would emphatically say "yes, we can do better".

One of the justifications for merging the old councils into one Super City was that we’d get a more efficient and effective delivery of services if it was managed across the region. There’s some evidence that this is working but this quote from the CEO sums up one of the Councils greatest challenges - "The bit that is challenging is the local bit, the local board connection. There's very diverse views over whether that's working or not."

My view is that it’s not working. There are definitely some examples of where it does work, but for the most part it doesn’t.

Too often the local voice is lost in the noise, not maliciously but often disastrously. Stockade Hill is a great example of this – an issue that arose from the city wide Unitary Plan and has been a dreadful experience for the community and council for years since. Something as large as a unitary plan will need broad strokes, but there will always be a need for finer details at a local level. We’re hopefully closing in on a positive outcome, but it could’ve been avoided if the local voices had been heard by council. The same can be said of a number of other issues such as the school bus changes, park maintenance and many more. Too often I hear from locals that they don't both logging issues with council anymore as they never get resolved which is an appalling indictment on the loss of community voice.

This needs to change at all levels which means deliberate leadership from the mayor, council, our councillors and our local boards.