Tag: Bill English

#Election2017 – Auckland and the Airport Line will Make or Break the English Government

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Attention goes north!   Airport chaos: Drive home ‘longer than Sydney flight’ 10:00 AM Saturday Dec 10, 2016 Passengers have vented their frustration at the traffic chaos at Auckland Airport, … Continue reading #Election2017 – Auckland and the Airport Line will Make or Break the English Government

NZPI In Denial?

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Yeah… But English also cheap shot-ting as well

 

I saw this presser from the New Zealand Planning Institute:

Urban planning not to blame for inequality

Regardless of whether the government accepts or rejects a growing gap in equality within New Zealand, it has agreed that there are a variety of national and international issues that cause inequality, including finance and tax policy, under and un-employment, the pressure of foreign investment etc.

NZPI is therefore surprised and disappointed at Minister Bill English’s recent comment that the single biggest contributor to the gap between the haves and have nots is ‘urban planning processes’.  This view is unsupported in any publicly available government report on inequality within New Zealand. On the contrary, the evidence available suggests that urban planning processes play a negligible part in housing affordability which is now being inextricably linked with inequality.
The regions of New Zealand face quite different pressures.

Land availability and housing affordability are not typically problems that face provincial New Zealand and yet poverty is very evident in our provinces. Local planning policy is one contributor to housing affordability but certainly not the main one. The relative inability to build at scale, relative high cost of building materials, land banking, tax structure, interest rates, profiteering and sentiment towards residential property as an asset class in general have a huge role in housing affordability.

NZPI waits with interest to hear of the Government’s proposed changes to the RMA, the legislation that sets the context for all planning policies in NZ.

Ends.

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A fellow Tweeter did say the NZPI is in a bit of self denial and that Bill English did certainly fire a cheap shot after sitting on his hands for the last six years when he could have been a tad more productive then and now.

The inability to build at scale, and land banking are both direct consequences of actual planning policy and regulation. Thus I would also argue those two issues are two of the three biggest issues around the housing situation (the other being the NIMBY – Consenting (so development controls)).

Not rather pleased with NZPI in light of that presser…

 

Council CEO Responds In-Kind

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Roughhan writes an opinion, Stephen Town Responds

 

Yesterday John Roughan wrote an opinion piece in the NZ Herald yesterday comparing Minister of Finance Bill English to Auckland Mayor Len Brown over finances.

You can read the opinion piece over at the Herald but below is an introductory excerpt:

John Roughan: Auckland should not lose services

5:00 AM Saturday Jul 12, 2014
Bill English has balanced a budget without ‘random amputations’
English believes the targets serve a greater purpose in changing the way the public service works. Photo / NZ Herald

Auckland is being softened up for a reduction in public services. Something has to go we are told — inorganic rubbish collections, maybe — if the mayor is to keep rates from rising beyond his election promise. Aucklanders should not listen to this.

The Super City was given a mayoral office with more powers than any elected position in New Zealand local government has previously enjoyed. It is our first “executive mayoralty”. The office has the power to draft the city’s budget and the staff to oversee the council’s operations. It has become obvious this week that Len Brown has not used it.

From the time he was first elected he has staffed the office predominantly with political advisers and publicists who churn out press statements and articles about visions and plans for some future “liveable city” in response to every problem that arises in the present.

Meanwhile, the monster bureaucracy created by the amalgamation of Auckland’s previous municipalities goes about its work in its own way at its own pace, not noticeably troubled by any scrutiny from the office of the executive mayor.

When a city is asked to accept reduced services for more cost, in the middle of an economic boom, something is seriously wrong. Staff are suggesting the council will need to find savings by means such as ending inorganic rubbish collections and reducing library hours or park maintenance, to keep rate rises within reason. The council’s limp majority will probably go along with this nonsense.

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Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11292074

 

Now we know people have all sorts of opinions about the Council and its finances. That said a response from the Council – more to the point CEO Stephen Town came through earlier today. This is what he had to say:

Response to the Weekend Herald editorial

Dear Sir

When John Roughan describes the unified Auckland Council as an ‘under-working morass of inefficiency’, what exactly is he referring to? Could it be the $1.7bn in cost and efficiency savings under the new Council, is it the vastly improved consenting times or a better relationship with central government? Perhaps it’s our AA credit rating, historic investment in public transport, or the most stable and low rates rises in decades?

We know we can do better, but we’re also proud of what our staff and Councillors have achieved in three and a half short years – to improve services, keep costs low for Aucklanders and invest for the future.

Over the next 12 months the Council will take the next big step – a 10 year budget aligned to Auckland’s priorities. There will be tough choices ahead for our city’s leaders. But as the Mayor has said, it’s also a historic opportunity to transform our city for the better. That’s something that’s worthy of a thoughtful and informed discussion with Aucklanders – and something we hope the Herald will want to be part of.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Town
Chief Executive
Auckland Council

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Source: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1407/S00238/response-to-the-weekend-herald-editorial.htm

 

The debate continues