Tag: Auckland Council

Annual Plan Submissions Now Called For

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Have your say on council’s draft Annual Plan

 

From Auckland Council on the up coming Annual Plan (a Council budget document) submission process:

Have your say on council’s draft Annual Plan

 

How Auckland Council plans to invest in projects and programmes to meet the growing needs of the region are outlined in the draft Annual Plan 2014/2015 which opens for public consultation this week.

The plan details the organisation’s proposed budget, activities and investment programme for next financial year. It also includes draft local board agreements that highlight each of the board’s local priorities, projects and advocacy issues

Auckland’s continuing population growth, a public desire for higher quality infrastructure and maintenance of existing assets is driving council’s significant investment programme.

$1.8 billion of capital expenditure is planned in the next financial year, with $1.25 billion of new assets to be bought or built, including:

  • $146m to continue purchasing electric trains and $193m for the next stage of the City Rail Link
  • $85m for local and sports parks
  • $25m to continue development of new libraries in Massey North, Te Atatu Peninsula, Devonport, Flat Bush, Takanini and Ōtāhuhu
  • $19m to upgrade town centres, including New Lynn, Westgate, Devonport, Mt Albert and Pukekohe

 

“It is important that we continue to invest in the future, in major region-wide infrastructure, and in local communities through projects such as new libraries, town centres, parks and sports ground upgrades,” says the Mayor.

“Aucklanders want financial prudence, which is the why the draft annual plan is based on ongoing savings, a low average rate increase and judicious investment.”

The average rates increase for the 2014/2015 financial year has reduced from an average of 4.9 per cent (as projected in our 10-year long-term plan) to an average of 2.4 per cent.

The council is seeking feedback on the proposed draft Annual Plan, including the local projects and proposed budget changes raised by each local board.  Through the draft annual plan the council is also consulting on:

  • implementing a strategy for Eden Park, Mount Smart, Western Springs and North Harbour stadiums that involves developing new facilities, shifting some sporting codes and streamlining operations at each venue to more efficiently accommodate major events and ensure the venues’ long-term success
  • delivering a wider range of benefits to Aucklanders and the creative sector by providing increased funding to the Auckland Arts Festival Trust to allow the festival become an annual event rather than every two years

 

Submissions on Auckland Council’s draft Annual Plan 2014/2015 open 23 January and close Monday, 24 February 2014.

 

More information on the draft annual plan and how to make a submission will be available online at www.annualplan.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz  from 23 January.

—ends–

 

Annual Plan and Unitary Plan Submissions at the same time, enough to keep you bogged down for the next four weeks. None-the-less if you can do submit on the Council budget document for the 2014/2015 year.

 

Mayor Len Brown on upcoming Transport Projects

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Generation Zero Got a Mention

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The Roads are Staying

 

I caught on Twitter that Mayor Len Brown was doing an interview with Radio Live over the lunch break. It is a very long interview covering an array of topics but the one that caught my attention the most was on transport.

We know three things:

  1. 2015-2025 Integrated Transport Program comes out for submissions later this year
  2. We have a current $15 billion funding gap for the 2012-2022 ITP owing to the massive road-fest in that program
  3. Generation Zero along with Transport Blog are strongly advocating for the Congestion Free Network which as they claim costs less than the current ITP and actually gets Auckland moving (the current ITP won’t)

 

Cue this piece from Radio Live today (http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Audio.aspx) which made think “oh boy.” To get the piece go to that Radio Live audio link, select Monday 20th January, then select the 12:30pm line on the scrolling menu, wait until 4:04 mark where the Mayor talks about Generation Zero and the ITP.

It would appear from that snippet that Generation Zero and Transport Blog are going to be facing an interesting debate when it comes to the 2015-2025 Integrated Transport Program. The Mayor does support some aspects of what Generation Zero and Transport Blog are pushing like the City Rail Link. But when it comes to the motorways and roading side of the ITP (subsequently leading to the funding issue) this is where sparks could fly. In short the Mayor has said the roading projects remain and (this was a stretch) that Generation Zero had taken any new roading project off the table. The Mayor went on further saying this was not tenable and effectively even with all the public and active transport investment, that mode usage would only move from 10% current to approximately 15% – leaving 85% by car. Also remember the population is growing to volume also on both modes increases as well.

The Radio Live portal:

Radio Live

 

It seems rather underwhelming what the Mayor said when it came to transport investment. I wonder if the Councillors have other ideas and could force a change of tact with the ITP? Will have to wait and see I suppose, but least we know what we are up against.