Auckland Council passes 10 year budget - Generation Zero

Thursday, 25 June 2015, 2:59 pm
Press Release: Generation Zero

Thursday 25 June 2015

Auckland Council passes 10 year budget - Generation Zero

Youth organisation, Generation Zero, is supportive of the 10 year Budget that Auckland Council passed today, specifically welcoming the funding for new cycling, walking and public transport projects.

Spokesperson Dr Sudhvir Singh explains; “This budget prioritises the essential public transport, walking and cycling projects that Aucklanders have called for, and is another step in the right direction for our city.”

The Mayor’s budget is proposing to fund immediate new investment in transport of $500 million over the next 3 years with an interim fixed levy of $2 per week on Auckland households. Dr Singh; “A $2 per week interim transport levy on each household is not ideal, and preferably would have been consulted on more extensively, but not investing in transport choices in Auckland will be more costly in the long term.”

The Council received over 20,000 pieces of feedback from the community on the budget, which demonstrated clear support for cycling and public transport. Dr Singh; “Cycling and public transport were prioritised as the key pieces of infrastructure that the public wanted to see funded in Auckland and it’s great to see these projects prioritised in this budget.”

This budget has also taken on the recommendations made in Generation Zero’s report Fix Our City, which proposed prioritisation of walking, cycling and public transport projects. Over 3000 Aucklanders submitted in favour of the essential transport budget proposed in Fix Our City.

Dr Singh; “Aucklanders have called for greater transport choices and the Council has responded with this budget. We now call on the government to get on board with Auckland’s agenda and to immediately start funding the City Rail Link.”

ENDS.

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