Q&A - The Burning Issues
Almost one-year-on from the establishment of the new amalgamated Auckland council model, the Business Channel’s Michael Campbell put the Burning Issues to our North Shore and Albany ward councillors to find out what their vision for our city is, and where they see the North Auckland Region and its business community fitting in with that.
local body politics
Wayne Walker
Albany Ward
What are the burning issues for you and your ward?
Improved transport and infrastructure, simplified and better planning, building business confidence and attracting investment are critical to improving business activity across the northern part of Auckland.
One year on, how would you rate the new Auckland Council’s performance? Has it fulfilled its obligations and met expectations?
The new Auckland Council has delivered so far. Rates have been held to 3.94%, the Auckland Plan will be out for public comment later this month, levels of service across the region have been maintained and operationally we have welded the activities of the old councils together; this has been a big ask within the first 10 months. I’d give the Council 8 out of 10.
Aucklanders want action; they want to see things happening. We are certainly delivering a number of projects associated with the Rugby World Cup.
What are the main challenges you face in the remainder of your current term? What do you hope to achieve?
The first phase of the new Council has been one of consolidation. Currently we’re putting together the budget for the next 10 years; this also includes the next financial year. We must develop and implement new funding tools other than rates; there are a number on the table and we need to consider them all. Development and financial contributions, bed tax, value uplift and various forms of road pricing are among those on the table. At the same time we have the shift to capital value rating coming up (most of the previous councils used land value) for the next year’s rates and the issue of how we deal with equity of service delivery and facilities across a region where things have been done differently from council to council. Arriving at a fair outcome will
be challenging.
We are putting in place a clear plan and direction for Auckland with the certainty that this allows for the business, residential and rural sectors; with simplified plans, rules and overarching goals.
On the North Shore and the Hibiscus Coast we need to realize the full potential of the busway. Patronage continues to lift and the completion of the Victoria Tunnel over the bridge will make for even more as users take the busway all the way through to town. Better local bus services – especially across the Bays and west – linked to the busway will enhance usage, together with the much needed addition to the Park and Ride at Oteha and a new Park and Ride at Silverdale. There improvements all decongest the roads and enhance business activity.
Lifting local employment and business success are critical to me.
What is being done to support existing and
new business initiatives in the North
Auckland region?
The business development and support activities that were carried out by the previous councils have been taken up by ATEED – Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development; they have
a great team that includes a North Auckland business unit.
Mentoring, business advice and assistance, workshops and awards continue. The Council has an Economic Development Forum that I sit on. The Auckland Plan is putting a comprehensive economic development strategy together for the region that is designed to produce action and results with funding to support it.
We need specific economic development actions for the north of Auckland to capitalise on the transport and infrastructure improvements being made; Takapuna, Albany, Hobsonville and Silverdale are areas that will benefit hugely from unlocking their potential.
Do you have a passion project you hope to implement while on the council?
Completing and delivering as far as possible on the Waste Minimisation Plan for Auckland is one of my key objectives; it fits within the role of the committee I chair.
Reducing waste across both the residential and commercial/industrial sectors offers significant opportunities to make financial savings for ratepayers, build new businesses and drive efficiencies in the way we handle materials. It also fits within a larger sustainability and innovation strategy I am driving in Council. There are significant savings and innovations that Council can make across it’s many activities; savings in electricity, water consumption, travel, procurement and contracts for such a large organization can amount to many tens of millions of dollars a year.
Michael Goudie
Albany Ward
What are the burning issues for you and your ward?
This is probably better answered by the local board members, but I guess some biggies are all round improvements in public transport, the Park n Ride expansion and the development of the Hobsonville, Penlink and Northern Busway.
One year on, how would you rate the new Auckland Council’s performance? Has it fulfilled its obligations and met expectations?
I personally think that the Auckland Council has outperformed and exceeded expectation. In many ways we were thrown a hospital pass, but being involved in the old system at Rodney and now in the Super City, I think it is 10 times better. After talking to many community members, they don’t think that anything has really changed. It’s often forgotten how mammoth the task was/is in bringing the old councils together. I have talked to many sectors of the community during this amalgamation and in general terms they haven’t noticed any change (putting aside the one rate bill + the new 15% GST) and this is a win in my view. The ability to have one vision for Auckland has already proven itself.
What are the main challenges you face in the remainder of your current term? What do you hope to achieve?
Delivering the unitary plan, delivering policy consistency across the region, really owning my Civil Defence Committee (Aucklanders rate the worst in preparedness), and developing a properly resourced youth engagement plan.
What is being done to support existing and new business initiatives in the North Auckland region?
I think there are a few things, working on looking at internal process, from start to finish and to move from process to being outcome driven. Our new economic development strategy has a first priority of being business friendly, and particularly in the North, it would be utilising our current facilities and developing our local knowledge of economy, which is reflected in the ‘Auckland Plan’.
Do you have a passion project?
Pushing the limits and continuing to search
for challenges.
Ann Hartley
North Shore Ward
What are the burning issues for you and your ward?
Like the rest of Auckland, transport is our number one issue to address. Keeping Auckland moving is the foundation for our economy recovery. The additional [Waitemata] harbour crossing is critical and I can assure Channel readers that local and central government are working together to advance this long-awaited lifeline to our transport network.
The Shore’s contribution to our regional and national economic recovery will be significant and we have many successes to celebrate as the annual Business Awards will soon confirm.
While we’re keen to future-proof our economy, we’re just as keen to protect all that which makes the Shore a great place to live: beaches, parks, libraries and our heritage buildings.
One year on, how would you rate the new Auckland Council’s performance? Has it fulfilled its obligations and met expectations?
The creation of Auckland Council has been described as New Zealand’s largest merger in recent history. Given the sheer scale of the task and the massive workload, we have made quite remarkable progress.
We have certainly fulfilled our statutory obligations with annual plans produced [including rates below what the previous North Shore City Council had proposed] and a ground-breaking spatial plan – the Auckland Plan – set for adoption within just a year of the new council’s existence. This plan will give Aucklanders – business people and residents both – greater certainty in how the city will develop over the next 30 years and beyond.
As humble as it may sound, we have achieved our number one objective – ensuring no one noticed a change in the everyday services they expect from council. Rubbish [and recyclables] have been collected, parks mowed, phone calls answered and library books lent – all in record numbers.
What are the main challenges you face in the remainder of your current term? What do you hope to achieve?
In addition to the Auckland Plan, we’re embarking on a three-year programme to create the Unitary Plan – blending all the former district plans into one cohesive resource management plan. Clarity, consistency and common sense are key objectives.
It is imperative that Auckland’s 21 local boards succeed. The local knowledge and community connections which Auckland’s 149 local board members bring to the democratic table are vital.
What is being done to support existing and new business initiatives in the North Auckland region?
At the recent Takapuna Beach Business Association AGM, I was pleased to hear Dave Donaldson acknowledge good service from the council’s Environmental Services team, with regular feedback a sign of improved communications. Such reports are encouraging as the Council needs to make it easier for businesses to prosper.
When I was mayor of North Shore City, I helped establish Enterprise North Shore. Its mentoring programmes were among the most successful
of its services honed over almost 20 years.
Do you have a passion project you hope to implement while on the council?
Transport looms large in my thinking. I long for the day when a ferry service will run from Beach Haven; indeed, with the Hobsonville plans advancing, there should be gains for all, across the ferry network. Northern Busway extensions are pivotal to the economic progress of the Northern reaches; park and ride facilities at Silverdale are essential and will relieve parking pressure further down the line.
Finally, community facilities and services are my grand passion and always will be.
Hardworking Shore residents deserve to relax and enjoy access to a quite outstanding range of cultural, sporting and leisure facilities. You’ve earned it North Shore!
George Wood
North Shore Ward
What are the burning issues for you and your ward?
The development of a 10-year plan and budgets for the Auckland Council must take top priority right now. I was elected on the promise that rate increases would be kept to the lowest possible levels.
I am concerned as to what extra projects
may be added to the budgets. North Shore ratepayers are very vulnerable as, on average, our properties are valued about mean Auckland Region property valuations.
It is my responsibility to scrutinize all spending in a careful and meticulous manner. At the same time, I believe, that levels of service; (roads, public transport, footpaths, parks, libraries, community facilities and the regulatory arm of the council) should remain at the same high quality that North Shore people have become accustomed to.
One year on, how would you rate the new Auckland Council’s performance? Has it fulfilled its obligations and met expectations?
Auckland Council has been very successful. Overall I would give it a rating of eight out of 10. A group of people with a wide range of political views and beliefs have come together and work in a collegial manner. We have developed a can-do work ethic that has seen the current 12-month budget developed and delivered, with a 3.94% rate increase across the whole region.
At the same time we are developing a spatial plan that must be completed around December this year. This plan outlines the development of the Auckland region over the next 30 years. We are now into the budgets for the next ten years. Merging eight councils and then developing 21 local boards
and seven stand alone council controlled organisations (CCOs) in such a short time frame, was no mean feat.
What are the main challenges you face in the remainder of your current term? What do you hope to achieve?
Improving the economic climate of the Auckland region from where it is at present will be a huge task. I’m talking about the economy in its widest sense. Auckland has a huge potential as a major South Pacific/Australasian economic powerhouse. We must, however, do much more to promote and market Auckland internationally. I have contributed in a positive way to developing a strong blueprint for the way forward.
I would like to see all sections of our communities working to improve their future prospects. The billions of dollars of Government funds being spent in our communities must be targeted to achieve far better outcomes. Getting people off the benefit and into meaningful work, settling people in healthy housing and getting kids a decent education is a high priority of mine.
Please don’t fret. I am not advocating property rates you pay, going into welfare programmes. I spent a lot of time in South Auckland when I was a police officer and again as an Auckland councillor. The situation is grim and bleak for our future generations, unless we turn things around now. I believe that this new council has a strong planning and advocacy role in dealing with the Government. Lets break down the silo mentality that council
and Government agencies work in at present.
Lets spend our money more wisely and get
better results.
What is being done to support existing
and business initiatives in the North
Auckland region?
Currently we are developing a new business strategy for the whole Auckland region. The council’s CCO, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development will, in the main, deliver that new plan for the future from the Auckland Council.
Auckland Council must ensure that high quality infrastructure in the form of roading, public transport, water and waste water, high-speed broadband, and reliable electricity is in place. There is also the important aspect of ensuring that there is sufficient land, zoned for commercial and industrial purposes across the whole of the Auckland region. Council’s cost structure for development of buildings must be competitively priced.
Do you have a passion project you hope to implement while on the council?
My number one project is connectivity and ease of movement right across the Auckland region. This means improving the ability to get around from the North Shore to the Auckland CBD and onto Southern areas like the airport.
Plans must be developed for a whole host of projects including an additional Waitemata Harbour crossing, improved public transport, and for utilities including power and high speed broadband.
Getting a new but practical unitary plan in place to replace the seven district plans and one regional plan is also important. This will help to better zone land, right across the region and ensure consistency from one area to another.
