11 July 2016

Auckland’s growth means big decisions for the new council

After this year’s local government elections, the new Auckland Mayor and elected representatives will face some major decisions on transport, housing, the port’s future, how to fund investment and to make the most of Auckland’s assets.

Auckland Council’s 2016 pre-election report, released today, outlines what the most important of those decisions might be, as well as what more needs to be done to enable Auckland’s unprecedented growth.

“Auckland is undergoing a huge transformation,” said the council’s Acting Chief Executive, Sue Tindal. “Auckland’s growth means that Auckland Council is facing a number of challenges.

“It’s worth noting that growth may hold major opportunities for Auckland, from attracting new investments and talent, through to creating higher value jobs and businesses, and building a more vibrant, sustainable and exciting region.”

The Chief Executive’s report includes some key milestones since Auckland Council’s creation in 2010. It also has a snapshot of the performance of the council and its council-controlled organisations, and key financial measures from the past three years and projections for the next three.

Some highlights include:

• Getting feedback from more than 27,000 Aucklanders on the 10-year budget (2015 to 2025) that will see a larger investment in Auckland over the next 10 years than in any previous decade: $18.7 billion

• The value of council assets growing from $29 billion at amalgamation to a projected $44 billion as at 30 June 2016

• Achieving efficiency gains of more than $200 million per annum so far since amalgamation

• Investment in game-changing projects, such as the City Rail Link

• A Future Urban Land Supply Strategy that sets out a staged approach to the development of 11,000 hectares of current rural land as $17 billion of supporting infrastructure investment is rolled out over the next 30 years

• Forming a new development agency to enable urban transformation

• Adopting a Waste Management and Minimisation Plan with a target of zero waste by 2040.

New Zealand’s councils are required by the Local Government Act 2002 to produce a report prior to each local government election. The Auckland Council elections voting period runs from 16 September to 8 October 2016.

The report also includes highlights from the council’s current 10-year budget, an outline of the council’s investment programme and what major infrastructure projects are planned over the next three years and into the longer term.

The report can be viewed on the Auckland Council website.

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ENDS

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