So much has happened in the past few weeks, so this newsletter is a bit longer than usual. Sadly, it’s not all good news. Ōrākei ward residents have experienced some poor customer experience, especially through the first few weeks of the school term with overcrowded school buses, reports of students being left at bus stops, ferries being disrupted and a significant water outage due to three broken water pipes in quick succession on Remuera Road leaving many residents in the surrounding area without water for 24 hours!
So, what am I doing about it?
I’ve met with the new Auckland Transport Board chair, and he is requesting staff to look at the school bus situation, I have also requested from AT’s Public Transport manager details around solutions from AT particularly an increase in the size of buses on key school routes including Selwyn College.
It’s imperative we get school buses sorted or else parents/ students will find a more reliable way to get to school and that may result in more congestion on our roads.
On the train delays/cancellations. When we first heard of heat issues, I contacted KiwiRail CEO and called for urgent confirmation this would be sorted. Following that, the Mayor called in the three agencies responsible for trains in Auckland. Yes, there are three of them. KiwiRail owns and maintains Auckland’s railway tracks and track infrastructure, including power lines, points and switches. Auckland Transport is a customer of KiwiRail, paying access fees so we can use KiwiRail’s network to run our passenger train services, and owns the fleet of trains used on passenger services. Auckland One Rail is the operator – it runs the services and manages our stations. In my opinion the 3 agencies could do better working together and I’m seeing that now happen.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week had 100, 59 and 54 failed punctuality results due to network speed reductions.
Our last update from KiwiRail said there would be a new 25kph temporary speed restriction on the Eastern Line near Glen Innes due to a defect with a piece of rail and that they are working on a remediation plan (yes, I know the Eastern Line has been closed for months for an upgrade!). I’m keeping locals regularly updated on progress via Facebook.
Now to the positives news. We have seen some great events in our area lately. The Auckland Domain hosted Synthony which saw 35,000 people dance the day and night away. Mission Bay hosted a jam packed Chinese New Year beach party, the Bean Rock Ocean swim and the Barfoot and Thompson triathlon, and last but not least close to 2000 families came to Glover Park to watch the free Movie in the Parks screening of Barbie.
We have also seen a number of students who live in our ward receive BEST IN THE WORLD results in the Cambridge International exams. Huge congratulations to them all, we certainly have a lot of exceptional kids in our neighbourhood.
Talking about the younger generation, the other big news is Auckland Council’s Long-term Plan (10-year Budget) 2024/34 consultation document was adopted by the Budget Committee on 20 February.
The public consultation will run from 28 February to 28 March. The feedback will be considered in April, and all decisions will be made in May, with the final Long-term Plan adopted by the Governing Body in June. This plan will impact all Aucklanders.
I encourage you all to read the consultation document as it looks different this time around.
First, some context. The budget must grapple with four big challenges on Council finances:
1. Ongoing impact of inflation and high-interest rates which impacts the cost of projects, operations and debt servicing.
2. Cost of last year’s storms and building resilience for the next one.
3. Government’s recent decision to abandon the Three Waters proposal means we still have to find a solution for the burden Watercare’s debt places on the council balance sheet. While Council a fan of the Three Waters solution, we do need help from government with our long-term water infrastructure needs, both for existing pipes and to cope with new growth in population.
4. Removal of the regional fuel tax. While I never originally supported it, it did allow many valuable projects to proceed – new or improved roads, big public transport projects, electric buses, and cycling projects. I’ve written to the Minister urging him to continue projects like Gowing Drive cycle link that were approved and ready to move to consents and construction – and to find a replacement funding tool for Council.
So, the LTP includes some big strategic changes suggested including a proposal by the Mayor to lease Auckland’s Port operations for 35 years, get an upfront payment (rather than waiting for the dividends to come in year on year) and invest the potential multi-billion dollar proceeds into a council-owned diversified regional wealth fund. There are also some choices around the spend to get Auckland moving, strengthening Auckland’s resilience to flooding and making do with what we have while spending where it is needed most. Decisions on cultural, community services and water infrastructure are included too. In short, we want Aucklanders to have their say if they want council to do less and spend less or do more and spend more.
These choices will have a direct impact on what rates increases you will pay and therefore service levels provided. There at 3 rates options. A central proposal recommends average rate increases of 7.5% in year one ($271 more a year, or $5.21 a week), 3.5% in year two, and 8% in year three (almost exclusively the result of the cost of operating the newly completed the City Rail Link). There is also a “pay more, get more” option ($506 more a year, almost $10 a week), and a “pay less, get less” option ($199 a year, or $3.83 a week).
Of course, that’s the city-wide average.
For Ōrākei Local Board area the likely increase for the average residential ratepayers is higher because property values are relatively higher in Ōrākei than other areas. The central proposal would mean around $428 a year more ($8.23 a week).
For Waitematā Local Board area the likely increase for the average residential ratepayer would be much lower - $262 a year in the central proposal ($5.03 a week).
In a nutshell what we need your views on centre on these key issues:
· Transport: feedback on the proposed transport plan, including funding road renewals, the introduction of a $50 weekly cap for public transport, and options to 'spend more’ or 'spend less’.
· North Harbour Stadium: options to keep the stadium as is, change management, or redevelop the site.
· Major investments: options to establish an Auckland Future Fund, using the council’s shareholding in Auckland International Airport; and either lease the port operations to another party or continue to operate the Port of Auckland ourselves, investing the proceeds from either in the proposed fund.
· Use of port land: in all cases, the port’s land and strategic assets will remain in Council ownership. Options to transfer prime waterfront land from the Port of Auckland Ltd. to Auckland Council within 2–5 years (Captain Cook Wharf and Marsden Wharf) and 15 years (Bledisloe Terminal).
· Changes to other rates, fees, and charges: feedback on targeted rates, the Long-term Differential Strategy, recycling charges for schools, and refuse collection.
· Local boards: feedback on the priorities for your local board and the proposed ‘fairer funding’ model.
As you can see there are big decisions to be made, and the cost benefit balance will not be an easy one. I will be expecting robust conversations around the Town Hall table!
There are several ways you can leave feedback or find out more information. The consultation documents and ways to share your views can be found on the council website akhaveyoursay.nz
Online events - Monday 4 March and 12 March, Long term Plan information session webinar via zoom - https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/online-events
In person events - Thursday 7 March 2024, 4pm-5.30pm - at St Heliers Library, 32 St Heliers Bay Road, to ask questions or leave feedback about our proposed long-term plan. You must register to attend this event. If you would like to go along, please email and let them know orakeilocalboard@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Tuesday 12 March 2024, 4pm-5.30pm you can meet the Waitematā Local Board team at the Town Hall Council Chambers, Ground Floor, Town Hall, 301-303 Queen Street, Auckland CBD. Register to attend waitematalocalboard@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Tell us what you think!
Moving on to what is happening locally. We have had good news, bad news and some delay in news.
Good news – St Heliers watermain renewals began on 20 Feb on Rarangi Road (these works, and the associated disruption will be ongoing for around 5 weeks). These works are part of Watercare’s renewals programme to upgrade aging watermains that are susceptible to breaks and to ensure the security of your water supply in St Heliers.
Bad news- Remuera road burst water pipes earlier this month for the umpteenth time! Although the Remuera water pipe is in bad condition it is not by the far the worst in Auckland, therefore a permanent solution (rather than continual patch ups) won’t come anytime soon. Each year Watercare allocate close to $20 million for reactive watermain renewals. The current area on Remuera Road was assessed as of medium priority for replacement.
Delay in news – Ngāpipi Bridge- Auckland Transport originally said this work would be complete by December last year, and now the new estimated completion date is March 2024. I enquired about the delay and Auckland Transport have said that “the contractor was instructed to undertake some additional work on the new Ngāpipi pedestrian footbridge, to ensure the 36m section of the 98m footbridge is ready for use. This work ensures better ease of travel by foot, cycle traffic, and boat users. Pedestrian access will be fully opened, and traffic management restored to its normal layout once finished. In the meantime, the temporary traffic lights will have to stay in place until the bridge is complete. This is to ensure safe pedestrian and cyclist access while we still have an active construction site”. We can read between the lines! Hopefully the “additional work” has been ironed out and we can tick this off the to do list.
Watch this space - Many local residents have raised their concerns about the new Gull petrol station being built on St Johns Road and the predicted increase in traffic along this already busy road. I have asked council about the process that has been gone through and I’m following this up.
Thanks for keeping in touch and as you know, I’m always available on desley.simpson@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or 021971786