The $525 million hole in Auckland Council’s finances due to COVID-19 means Aucklanders are being asked to have their say on the Emergency Budget, which is now open for consultation.
Howick Ward Councillor Paul Young says that the impact on council services will affect everyone, including those in East Auckland.
“There are some really tough decisions ahead,” says Councillor Young, who also holds the Ethnic Communities Portfolio.
“We want feedback from Aucklanders that truly reflects our people. Our diversity is our greatest asset, but it’s not always captured in our consultation.
“Almost half of Aucklanders were born overseas. Half of the residents in my ward identify as Asian and we’ve seen that these communities are less likely to engage with council processes.
“Even before COVID-19, East Auckland was facing the challenge of maintaining service levels and accommodating the level of investment in infrastructure to meet our growing population.
“The Emergency Budget is really important because it is the first step to our recovery. We have to balance reducing our costs while keeping the services Aucklanders need and value, creating jobs to stimulate economic recovery, and moving Auckland forward.
“COVID-19 has really shown us the importance of communities looking out for each other and staying connected.
“What I have seen has made me proud to be an Aucklander. Our Chinese and Asian communities fronted some of the strongest responses to COVID-19, including the proactive cancellation of the Auckland Lantern Festival back in February.
“I hope that we can carry this sense of unity from COVID-19 into the Emergency Budget consultation to increase participation. Some services could well be lost as a result of the decisions that we need to make.
“This is not business as usual. There are translations of our consultation material online, but we are also trying some new things to get wider feedback. This includes setting up a facility for non-English speakers to provide feedback over the phone through some of our bilingual staff.
“Together we can do things differently.”
Consultation is open now until 19 June. Have your say at Akhaveyoursay.nz/emergency-budget
