As councillor for Ōrākei Ward, I want to thank our community for your collective response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Together we have been able to limit the impact of this global pandemic and, ultimately, save lives. Now we are faced with the challenge of an economic recovery.
As I move around my local area, the impact is plain to see. Some shops that closed for lockdown may not open again, the social hum of local cafes and restaurants is strangely muted and local businesses are trying to survive on much reduced incomes.
The Auckland Council family has also been heavily impacted and the hit to our income and operations is projected to be substantial – over half a billion dollars in reduced revenue. This puts at risk the services that the council provides to Aucklanders, our ability to invest in much-needed infrastructure, and importantly, how we can help our local communities and businesses recover.
To respond, we have drafted an Emergency Budget.
The council has already reduced spend, identifying over a hundred million dollars of savings and efficiencies. We are shelving planned projects and initiatives and reducing our workforce. But we need to do a lot more.
Ahead of us are some difficult decisions. At the local level, services and facilities will need to be reduced or even cut and some of the anticipated work to local infrastructure will need to be put on hold. We must consider what is most important for the future of our community, our city and our economy.
This is why it’s so important we hear from you to help inform the tough choices that lie ahead.
I believe we will get through this and we will find the balance, but we need your input.
In this post COVID-19 world, the council is hosting a series of webinars to connect with Aucklanders. Find more details and register here.
Alternatively, you can visit akhaveyoursay.nz/emergency-budget to find out more about our proposals and let us what you think.
We need to continue our collective response. Together we can build for the future.
