13 October 2005

A tight ship stretches Auckland City dollar

Over $4 million worth of savings made by Auckland City through efficiency gains will be redirected into helping fund key project areas.

Councillor Vern Walsh, chairperson of the Finance and Corporate Business Committee said, "I am committed to exploring all avenues of efficiency gains and revenue streams to reduce the burden of rates on Auckland City residents."

The accumulated cost savings are significant because the money saved can be redistributed to help alleviate increasing costs for current and planned works and services.

"Auckland City continues to be efficient in the way we operate. The on-going challenge lies in continuing to seek efficiency gains and savings from changes to the routine costs of delivering services, through investment in technology and fresh approaches to service delivery," said Mr Walsh.

Cost savings have been made across a range of areas. For example, new energy management technology at the Parnell baths will deliver energy savings of $70,000 per year.

"We will ask officers to investigate other council-owned facilities where this successful technology can be implemented to create more energy and cost savings," said Mr Walsh.

Co-operation between regional councils to share the purchase of new aerial mapping data of the region will yield Auckland City annual savings of $250,000 and over $1 million for the region. By working together, the councils have a mapping system that is twice as accurate as the previous system as well as one that produces cost savings.

ENDS

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