Kia ora,
Our Waitematā Local Board’s main focus currently, is on encouraging and enabling informed responses from people to the current public consultation on Auckland Council’s proposed 10-year Budget (long-term plan). This ‘Recovery Budget’ will help the Auckland region recover from the on-going impacts of COVID-19. People’s expressed views will be vital in our Board’s advocacy to Council’s Governing Body to help shape its decision making on the proposed 10-year Budget (long-term plan).
The early restoration of the Leys Institute buildings for library and public use is something we urge people specifically to raise in their 10-year Budget (long-term plan) submissions. The creation of a park at 254 Ponsonby Road has been another major request in the Board’s own advocacy to the Governing Body.
We also believe there should be substantially higher priority and more resources than the Budget currently proposes, given to maintaining community facilities like our libraries, community centres and halls and Studio One. The reduced budget proposed for community facilities means that there is now not enough money to do everything. Careful decisions will need to be made about what facilities we continue to run and maintain. Innovative ways of providing services will need to be developed for any facilities that will close. Therefore, it is important that your submissions list the facilities you want to maintain and why.
We also urge public support for the proposed increase in the water quality targeted rate to speed the cleaning up of Hobson Bay and our beaches and waterways. We want support for a restored Local Board Capital Transport Fund so we can provide transport and road safety projects, particularly around primary schools and for streetscape upgrades like at St George’s Bay and Great North Road. We believe that our city’s contribution to action on climate change should be much greater than proposed, and the council’s consultation document includes further possible actions which you could identify to urge support for.
The on-going impact of COVID-19 means that most local councils around the country are needing to increase rates by a double figure percentage next year just to maintain services and infrastructure.
Although Auckland Council’s consultation document recommends a one-off 5 per cent rate increase, Waitematā Local Board is advocating for a one-off 8 per cent increase in the general rate and in the water quality targeted rate. Although, 8 per cent is not an option that the council is consulting on, we believe it would make a difference if we are not to go backwards in meeting some vital needs.
Now the time for public submissions has begun, finishing on 22 March 2021, it would be helpful for you to make a submission about your own views on these and other issues and priorities for the council.
Waitematā Local Board members will be out and about to hear your views on the 10-year Budget (long-term plan) including at Residents Associations and Business Association meetings in March, the Parnell Farmers Market on Saturday 13 March between 9am-11am and the Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday 14 March between 8.30am-11am.
We’ll also running online events including a community online meeting about local water quality issues this Sunday 7 March at 2pm and a formal hearing event on Tuesday 9 March from 4.30pm held by Skype with all Waitematā Local Board Members and local Auckland Councillors hearing your views on these vital issues for all our futures.
You can have your say online now until the 22 March 2021 at our website: akhaveyoursay.nz/RecoveryBudget
Ngā mihi nui,
Richard Northey,
Chair, Waitematā Local Board
