Tag: City Finances

Progress from the Long Term Plan 2015-2025 Debate

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Some Transport Projects Get the Chop, Others Stay

 

Some of the transport options remaining in the 2015-2025 LTP pic.twitter.com/86P6k4QGn3

 

That is from the Long Term Plan 2015-2025 presentation which is being given at the moment by the Mayor.

This list apparently shows capital funding options remaining for the above projects through the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan (still subject to consultation and final ratification).

So Walters Road gets grade separated, Takanini gets a new library (and possibly station if the developer at Takanini Village still wants to build it), and two new stations at Paerata and Drury. But some causalities were: Pukekohe Electrification, PENLINK, and a pile of roading projects.

The Mayor has stated rate rises will be at an average of 2.5% this year and moves to 3.5% after that. He has stated Council can go higher if the public want it. Councillor Cameron Brewer has said this LTP is an encouraging document to work on.

 

More as it comes to hand

 

Council Cutting the Spin

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Well reductions in the Communications, PR and Marketing Department

 

In the continued drive for efficiencies and cost control (despite an OPEX surplus at $212 million on the last set of audited figures) the Marketing Department is next up on the blocks (after Planning) for the “review.”

From Radio NZ and Todd Niall

Auckland Council cuts marketing budget

Updated at 6:56 am today

 

The council has cut 38 jobs and brought more work in-house to save $4.3 million this year, and slightly more after that.

The spending on communications and marketing will fall to nearly $8.5 million.

The council said work has been centralised, and around $1.5 million saved through less outsourcing.

The re-structuring of communications and marketing is the largest cut from a series of reviews that have been underway. It has made 109 other staff redundant over the past year.

A larger review is nearly complete in the chief planning officer’s department which employs 538 staff.

Auckland Council has gone on the front foot, announcing the cuts in communications and marketing, 10 days before it unveils the first version of its proposed 10 year budget.

While there is no direct link between the two, the council is keen to portray itself as being rigorous with internal spending, before beginning debate on how much should be spent around the city.

The council has lifted its target for efficiency savings to $240 million a year, as it begins the task of setting the 10-year budget, called the Long Term Plan.

That may bring new charges for Aucklanders and a multi-billion dollar cut over the next decade, to the previously-forecast level of spending on new assets.

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Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/252342/auckland-council-cuts-marketing-budget

 

You can hear report Todd Niall’s take on here:

 

I will be interesting to see what has happened to the Planning Department after their review. We shall know the results next month.