Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says the Auckland Council Governing Body needs to find $270 million quickly to cover its growing budget hole for the 2023/24 financial year.
“The $270 million budget hole is a legacy of former mayor Phil Goff papering over the fiscal cracks and passing the buck to the new Governing Body, and not being prepared to confront poor performance by Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) and Ports of Auckland Ltd (POAL) over six years,” Mayor Brown said.
“Twelve percent rates rises are not acceptable and will not happen.
“The new Governing Body needs to find the $270 million for 2023/24 through a combination of head office savings, operational efficiencies, relentless scrutiny of the expenditure and commercial performance of CCOs and the port, and limited rates rises.
“We must also protect the essential services Aucklanders value and keep Auckland Council’s waterfront land in public ownership in perpetuity.”
The $270 million budget hole does not include expected cost blow-outs from the Central Rail Link project, estimates of which Central Rail Link Ltd has declined to provide to its three shareholders, Finance Minister Grant Robertson, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Council.
Mayor Brown was commenting on Auckland Council’s budget situation this morning after a report in the NZ Herald and a market update to the NZX.
