Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown met this morning with Auckland Central and Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick.
The two walked to work together via Karangahape Road before an hour-long meeting in Mr Brown’s office that was “constructive, friendly and business-like”.
Ms Swarbrick congratulated Mr Brown on his election and Mr Brown thanked Ms Swarbrick for her strong support for his initiative to return land currently being used by Ports of Auckland for used-car imports to public use.
They agreed the port land should remain in public ownership in perpetuity with a clear plan and timeline to move it to its highest and best use based on environmental, social, cultural and economic measures.
Mr Brown and Ms Swarbrick committed to work together on immediate steps to improve safety and vibrancy in Auckland’s City Centre.
Among the immediate “low-hanging fruit” suggested by Ms Swarbrick for the City Centre were:
- Support for Māori Wardens (including a city centre base at Myer’s Park) community engagement and Heart of the City and City Missions’ Street Guardians programme
- Urgent public toilet strategy and resourcing
- One-stop, single-contact point for people experiencing or concerned about those experiencing homelessness
- Revitalising public space and providing night-time food options by removing barriers to food truck licences (the opposite of recent experiences with The White Lady)
Mr Brown will follow up on these issues with the relevant agencies and officials today.
Mr Brown and Ms Swarbrick discussed the economic and financial outlook for Aucklanders. Mr Brown emphasised that both central and local government had to trim unnecessary spending to reduce the pressure on households. Ms Swarbrick urged Mr Brown to get on with implementing the decade-overdue City Centre Masterplan and support density done well.
On climate change, Ms Swarbrick urged Mr Brown to support initiatives to reduce Auckland’s greenhouse gas emissions faster than central government’s targets and to maintain and enhance investment in public transport, cycleways and pedestrianisation. Mr Brown said Auckland Council was already investing significantly in climate-change mitigation and would need support from central government on climate-change adaptation.
