Mayor Presents the Slimmed down Long Term Plan Draft

 

The draft Long Term Plan 2015-2025 is out.

From Auckland Council:

Mayor proposes $16.6bn of investment for Auckland

Auckland Mayor Len Brown today presented his proposal for Auckland’s next ten-year budget – the Long-term Plan (LTP) 2015-2025.

The Mayor’s proposal sets out priorities for investment over the next decade to support Auckland’s development, while keeping rates and debt at affordable levels.

“This proposal delivers more investment than Auckland has seen in any previous decade, while keeping rates fairer and more affordable for all Aucklanders,” says Len Brown.

“I am proposing $16.6 billion in investment for local and regional projects over the next 10 years, while reducing projected debt levels by $2.7 billion and capping average rates rises to between 2.5 and 3.5 per cent.

“I share Aucklanders determination to see progress, particularly in public transport and housing, but at the same time I know they have no appetite for large increases in rates or debt levels.”

The proposal is a departure from the previous 2012-22 LTP, which requires average rates increases of 4.9 per cent a year to fund all of its commitments.

Len Brown says that while the capital investment will be lower than under the previous LTP, it will be fully aligned to Auckland’s growth priorities, while protecting many core services. The Mayor also reaffirmed his commitment that no swimming pool or library will be closed.

The Mayor said that additional funding would be needed to deliver Auckland’s transport priorities and that options were being developed for consultation later this year.

 

“We have suffered from decades of chronic under-investment in major transport infrastructure and every day Aucklanders tell me to fix the transport problem. A basic network isn’t good enough for me and I know it isn’t good enough for Aucklanders. Later this year I will be presenting a second option for funding a more ambitious, fully integrated transport network that could finally fix Auckland and get it moving.”

—–ends—–

 

The (quick) Info Graphic on the Long Term Plan 2015-2025

 

The High Level Details Including Next Steps for the LTP

 

Of note I did see this on regards to transport projects in the LTP 2015-2025

From the LTP Presentation Document (page 12)

Capital expenditure

The LTP 2012-22 has a significant investment programme which drives both the debt and a major portion of the rates increases. Through our workshops over the past couple of months we have become aware of the need to focus our investment and manage the capital work programme in a more constrained environment. This proposal reflects a reduced capital programme as one element of managing the debt levels. While there has been a reduction in the programme, this still represents new investment of $11.2 billion over the next ten years. Alongside this we continue to spend $5.4 billion on renewing our existing assets. Many parts of our region have already had substantial investment from the legacy councils. It is important that we take a strategic approach to future capital spend across Auckland.

Under the leadership of the Deputy Mayor, councillors and council staff have developed an initial set of spatial priorities, which along with Special Housing Areas and a few other criteria (such as safety), will enable a reduced capital programme to be targeted to those areas where the investment will have maximum impact in achieving our strategic objectives. Council and CCO investment has been aligned to achieve this. These projects have been selected as those that will unlock the potential for business and community development in those priority areas.
Some examples of these projects are:
• Watercare’s central interceptor project
• Grade separation at Avondale
• Tamaki Drive shared walking and cycling path
• Work with mana whenua on redevelopment of Ruapotaka marae
• Otahuhu aquatic centre and library
• Improved public transport between Mangere/Otahuhu/Sylvia park
• New Takanini library
• Grade separation at Walters Road, Takanini
• Te Atatu bus interchange
• Westgate stormwater ponds
• Lake Road, Takapuna streetscape
• Train stations at Drury and Paerata
• Manukau transport interchange
• Ormiston library and community centre.

………..

 

So two new stations (but no Pukekohe Electrification), Walters Road finally separated (thus allowing the Takanini Village developer to finally build Glenora Road Station if he is still up to it after being shafted by Auckland Transport for so long), and and new library at Takanini Village.

Not too bad.

 

No news of the Manukau Rail South Link yet. I shall know more next week when Auckland Transport get back to me with my Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request on that one.

Of course the above list is not final with deliberations by Councillors and Local Boards to be done, and consultation to be had with the public. None-the-less some interesting projects up on the potential blocks.