South Auckland councillors abandon South Auckland

The Maori Party Co Chair for Tamaki Makaurau Electorate has supported that stand of the Manurewa Local Board and is disappointed with funding cuts made for South Auckland Communities by Auckland Council. 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.

George Ngatai was shocked to hear 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 our community and others like it will receive less funding in order to cross-subsidise rural areas. South Auckland is already struggling to make ends meat and to have more funding taken out of the community and put in the more well to do communities is not right.

“The Mayor as well as my ward councillors (Calum Penrose and Sir John Walker) 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.

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).

These councillors probably think its ok to reduce funding from South Auckland as they believe our community won't complain. Well they are wrong and we should complain. They must remember that next year is an election year and people must remember what they have done to us.

I think its time for change and to actually put people in there that will stand up for our communities says George Ngatai

ENDS

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