South Auckland councillors abandon South Auckland

Despite being the most economically deprived part of the Auckland region, almost every southern ward councillor voted for a funding model that will see the least funding allocated to South Auckland’s local boards.

Manurewa Local Board chairperson Angela Dalton said the decision by Auckland Council’s Finance and Performance Committee to reject a Local Board Funding Policy based on a formula that balances both population and deprivation means her community and others like it will receive less funding in order to cross-subsidise rural areas.

“The Mayor as well as my ward councillors (Calum Penrose and Sir John Walter) voted to cut funding for Manurewa and Papakura in order to send more funding to communities like Snells Beach and Omaha.

“In fact of the seven local boards who will sustain funding cuts, six are from South Auckland. Only Councillor Arthur Anae voted against cutting funding for local communities. Given that local boards are chronically and deliberately under resourced by Auckland Council, this latter day abandonment will mean less funding for crucial local capital projects identified in local board plans.

“This is another example of gross disloyalty by our Mayor and elected councillors,” Angela Dalton said.

Funding cuts mean the discretionary Locally Driven Initiatives Capex fund will be cut for Mangere-Otahuhu, Manurewa, Maungakiekie-Tamaki, Otara-Papatoetoe, Papakura, Puketapapa, and the Whau Local Boards. The three local boards that stand to benefit are Franklin (up $108,665), Rodney (up $227,639), and Waitakere Ranges (up $15,934).

“Congratulations to the councillors who represent communities like Snells Beach and Omaha. But I am disappointed that funding for projects in those rural and coastal settlements will come at the expense of local initiatives that could otherwise have supported initiatives in Manurewa.

“My local board already has to beg for funding from third party sources like gaming trusts to backfill Auckland Council’s abandonment. So it is particularly galling when our own ward councillors aid and abet this funding transfer from the most deprived to the most affluent,” Angela Dalton said.

ENDS

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