AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

22 February 2007

How good is life in Auckland?

The 2006 Quality of life survey results released today reveal an intriguing picture about the life of a typical Auckland city resident.

The average Aucklander works full time, has good health and enough money to live comfortably. They like arts and culture and feel safe in their neighbourhood, but the vast majority do not use public transport.

Overall, 91 per cent of Aucklanders surveyed felt they had a good quality of life. This rated slightly higher than the national average of 90 per cent.

“It’s pleasing to have it officially confirmed that 91 per cent of Aucklanders are happy with their quality of life in New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing city. The results show we are creating a great city that people enjoy, but they also show some areas we can improve in,” says Mayor Dick Hubbard.

The survey, completed every three years, is a partnership between New Zealand’s 12 largest city councils and the Ministry of Social Development. It looks at 10 key areas affecting people’s life including health, crime and safety, community, council processes, the built environment and lifestyle.

Some key findings from the Auckland residents responding to the survey revealed that:

- almost all Auckanders (91 per cent) felt they had an extremely good or good quality of life

- most (89 per cent) viewed their health positively (good, very good or excellent)

- over two-thirds (70 per cent) felt safe in their neighbourhood after dark

- the majority (79 per cent) rarely felt isolated or lonely, and 72 per cent felt that people could be trusted

- only 23 per cent were regular users of public transport (two or more times per week) and these people were mostly younger (15 to 24 years) and of non-European descent

- 75 per cent said it was easy to access a public transport facility like a bus stop or train station

- 55 per cent were employed full time (30 hours or more per week), 20 per cent were working part time, and 21 per cent were not in paid employment or looking for work. One third of the people not employed were students or looking after children, while a quarter were retired

- many (78 per cent) believed they have a good work-life balance.

- most (87 per cent) said they had enough money to cover the costs of their everyday needs.

- 43 per cent felt a sense of pride in their city, mostly because it’s a nice green city with lots of parks, and good facilities and services

- the majority (88 per cent) said it was easy to access a local park or other green space

- almost half (48 per cent) of Auckland residents believed the public has some influence on the decisions the council makes

- just 30 per cent of residents felt they understood the council decision making process

- many (75 per cent) believed Auckland has a culturally rich and diverse arts scene

- 60 per cent felt positively towards increased cultural diversity because it makes Auckland a better place.

“It is disappointing to see that some Aucklanders are not proud of the city they live in. This is a big leadership challenge which we are already addressing. Massive improvement works in the CBD and the major events we have lined up will all contribute to civic pride. We want to have proud citizens because they contribute positively to the city by caring for the environment they value,” says Mr Hubbard.

“The survey has also indicated that we need to work with the Auckland Regional Transport Authority to get more people onto passenger transport. I am hopeful that more Aucklanders will embrace it once they see the benefits of the city’s transport infrastructure developments. The central transit corridor, for example, could reduce bus travel times between the CBD and Newmarket by 14 minutes at peak time. Also, the new Panmure interchange now offers a range of transport choices through park-and-ride bus and rail facilities,” he says.

Mr Hubbard says it is heartening to see that Aucklanders believe arts, culture and diversity make the city a better place.

“We work hard to celebrate culture and diversity through events and public art and this confirms we are on the right track.”

All survey results can be viewed at www.bigcities.govt.nz.

ENDS

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