On 1 June Auckland Council voted to adopt Mayor Phil Goff’s Annual Budget 2017/2018.
Important decisions in the budget include:
- a general rates increase of 2.5 per cent for all ratepayers
- a living wage for Auckland Council employees on low pay
- funding to coordinate action on homelessness
- a broader revenue base for the council via a targeted rate on commercial accommodation providers
- new targeted rate mechanisms to fund infrastructure for new houses
- a $200 million boost to spending on infrastructure with $2 billion in capital spending this year
- an additional $161 million capital budget for Auckland Transport’s work on projects such as AMETI, route protection for mass transit, the Manukau interchange, Lincoln Road, improvements in Newmarket and investing in our public transport programme.
A budget for Aucklanders
"This is a budget for the people of Auckland," says Mayor Phil Goff.
"Passing on efficiency savings and lower interest rates to ratepayers has allowed the council to reduce planned rate increases.
"It has also been possible to ensure lower rate rises because we have sought new measures to broaden our revenue base and take some of the pressure off ratepayers," the mayor says.
Targeted rate on accommodation providers
"With the targeted rate on accommodation we are asking accommodation providers to meet half of the cost of tourism marketing and events, which previously fell totally on Auckland ratepayers," says Mayor Goff.
"It's only fair that those who benefit directly from events that promote tourism share in that cost.
"The other advantage of the targeted rate is that the money freed up creates capacity for an additional $100 million increase in capital spending on transport infrastructure.
"This will be used to help fund much-needed projects such as mass transit between the CBD and airport.”
Helping vulnerable Aucklanders
"This year's budget also seeks to help some of the most vulnerable Aucklanders," says Mayor Goff.
"A living wage for Auckland Council employees will help our lowest-paid people to meet the high costs of living in Auckland and ease pressure on their families.
"It will help cut the high 25 per cent yearly attrition rate among our lowest-paid workers and increase productivity.
"A fund to coordinate council, government and non-government organisations' action on homelessness will help us implement a 'housing first' policy. In other cities, this policy has had a proven track record of getting people permanently off the street and into homes."
Find out more about the Annual Budget process
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