Auckland City Council
Media release

17 April 2009

Council hold promise of affordable progress in draft 10-year plan

Auckland City Council have released its draft 10-year plan balancing a commitment to affordable progress with plans to develop the city while taking into account the difficult economic circumstances.

Although the Royal Commission report and central government’s decisions have signalled change well within the next 10 years, we must not stop with our day-to-day services, and our plans for the city.

Preparing a 10-year plan, every three years, is a statutory requirement and it forms the basis for determining rates for the coming year.

Our 10-year plan, and the budgets within it, will inform the new council and assist them in forming a single 10-year plan.

In our draft 10-year plan, the council is proposing to spend $3.5 billion on capital projects across the city.

This will include $1.7 billion on maintaining facilities and services that the council already provides, such as libraries, swimming pools and parks; and $1.8 billion on building and acquiring new assets. The plan includes funding for projects and services in every area of the city. People can search for the projects and services happening in their area on the 10-year plan website, www.aucklandcity.govt.nz\tenyearplan .

Next year, our capital expenditure will be $516 million, which is our biggest single-year amount - while keeping the average rates increase to within council’s rate of inflation of 2.5 per cent.

In 2009/2010 we plan to hold the average rates increase to 2 per cent, lower than the council’s rate of inflation.

Councillor Douglas Armstrong, chairperson of the Finance and Strategy Committee, says: “In these difficult economic times, the council has promised to balance the importance of keeping rates affordable for our communities with delivering the essential progress needed for the city to grow and prosper. Our focus is on giving people value for money. The current economic climate makes the commitment to affordability more relevant than ever.

“We have gone through all of our expenditure line by line and reviewed all our operating costs.

“We have budgeted for savings of over $202 million over the 10 years with targets set for each year. In 2009/2010, we plan to save $4.6 million, rising to $27.9 million in 2018/2019. We have a good record over many years of achieving savings. We are determined to be more efficient each year and weed out unnecessary expenditure. We have also made no budget provision for staff salary increases in 2009/2010.

Residents and ratepayers can now send in their feedback on these plans, during the month long submission period. This runs from Friday 17 April to Monday 18 May.

Councillor Armstrong said the council will be producing their final plan in June and will take into account the feedback and submissions we receive from members of the public on this draft plan.

“Your feedback will contribute towards discussions within council before the final decision to adopt the draft plan is made. You can send in your submission quickly and easily online, or on the submission form in the draft summary delivered with City Scene on 19 April.

“You can also attend one of the seven community meetings held over the next month across the city. By attending these meetings, people can find out what is going on, and also how it will affect their rates.”

A summary of the draft 10-year plan is delivered with City Scene on 18-19 April 2009. Full details of the plan are on the website www.aucklandcity.govt.nz\tenyearplan where people can enter their address and find details of projects happening in their area.

Copies of the full draft 10-year plan are available at all Auckland city libraries and service centres.

Dates and locations of the community meetings are:

Community Date and time Venue
Waiheke Island Monday, 27 April 2009
5pm to 7pm Boardroom
Waiheke Service Centre
10 Belgium St, Ostend, Waiheke Island
Eastern Bays Monday, 27 April 2009
6pm to 8pm St Ignatius Hall
12 Kotiri Street, St Heliers
Mt Roskill Wednesday, 29 April 2009
6pm to 8pm Hillsborough room
Fickling Convention Centre
546 Mt Albert Road, Three Kings
Mt Albert Monday, 4 May 2009
6pm to 8pm Ferndale House
830 New North Road, Mt Albert
Otahuhu Wednesday, 6 May 2009
6pm to 8pm Otahuhu Town Hall Community Centre
10 High Street, Otahuhu, (next to the Otahuhu Library)
CBD Wednesday, 6 May 2009
6pm to 8pm Council Chamber, ground floor
Auckland Town Hall, 301 Queen Street, Auckland
Pacific Island Fono Monday, 11 May 2009
6pm to 8pm Hillsborough room
Fickling Convention Centre
546 Mt Albert Road, Three Kings

Ends

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