Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has today announced he will not be seeking re-election this year.

“It’s more than 40 years since I was first elected to office as MP for Roskill in 1981 and I believe it’s time to pass the baton to a new generation of leadership,” Phil Goff said.

“It has been an absolute privilege to serve two terms as the Mayor of Auckland, the city I grew up in and that I love.

“I want to thank the people of Auckland for having twice elected me by large majorities and for giving me the mandate to lead our city.

“I would like to thank my wife Mary, and our family for tolerating my absences at family occasions when council work has taken precedence, and my mayoral office staff who have worked hard and competently.

“I would also like to acknowledge and thank Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore for his huge contribution, and all those councillors from a variety of different political affiliations who have worked constructively with me to advance the interests of Auckland.

“While the pandemic has created huge challenges, the city has made real progress over the last five and half years. We have made the biggest investments Auckland has ever seen in infrastructure for transport and water. This has reversed decades of underinvestment, where infrastructure spending did not keep up with population growth.

“We have taken big strides towards creating a sustainable environment, with measures to end the century-long problem of wastewater spilling onto our beaches and into our harbours, steps to contain the spread of kauri dieback, and predator control to revive our native bush and birdlife. Over 2 million native trees have been planted as part of the Mayor’s Million Trees campaign, and the current budget proposes strong steps to tackle climate change.

“We have also implemented a living wage for council employees and our cleaning contractors.

“As Mayor, I am proud that I have been able to lead councillors to work collaboratively and constructively to meet the challenges of the pandemic and work towards our vision of creating a sustainable, inclusive and world-class city.

“I will continue to give the role of Mayor my full energy and commitment for the next seven months and will consider options for my future in due course,” Phil Goff said.

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