Dead stingrays in the Ōrākei Basin.

I asked that staff address the following points as to multiple community concerns when dead stingrays were seen in the Orakei Basin. I requested in writing;

·         Further information on the sluice gates and their ongoing maintenance and why they haven’t been operating.

·         Confirmation of the process moving forward if an incident like this occurs again.

·         Clear outline of who is responsible for what area/action (including MPI and DOC).

·         Staff consider reaching out to Kelly Tarlton’s to include them in any future process.

·         Any information on the cause of death of the stingrays and how we might prevent this from happening again.

Staff have developed the following written responses.

Context: Ōrākei Basin sluice gates

·         The Ōrākei Basin sluice gates are managed by the council’s Community Facilities department on behalf of Auckland Council.

·         The resource consent conditions for the sluice gates specify the Ōrākei Basin be flushed fortnightly (approximately 27 times a year), opening the sluice gates during high tides. This regime results in useable water levels for 78% of daylight hours during the year.

·         Community Facilities have an agreement with the Auckland Water Ski Club (the ski club) whereby the ski club manually operate the sluice gates to allow the flushing of the basin and to maintain adequate water levels. The ski club have resource consent for the basin to remain filled for a certain number of days per year to allow for water sports. The ski club and waka ama groups use this facility.

·         Up until 11 May 2020, the sluice gates have been managed as required by the ski club with regular monitoring of water levels and operation of the sluice gates. On 14 May 2020 the ski club reported to Community Facilities a malfunction with the electrical system which prevented the sluice gates from opening.

·         Community Facilities initiated repairs to the electrical system and upgrade of the system control panel. Repairs were completed on 6 August 2020.

·         The sluice gates were operated on 7 – 9 August to flush the basin. The sluice gates were opened again on 17 – 21 August 2020.

·         Three of the four sluice gates remain open this week (17 – 21 August 2020) as the first cylinder is removed and the overhaul of the hydraulic cylinders begins. This is due to be completed by 31 October 2020. Community Facilities will continue to monitor water levels within the basin during this time.

·         Automation of the sluice gates is due to be completed by 31 June 2021.

Accountability: Auckland Council responsibilities and processes moving forward

·         Generally, for freshwater bodies on Auckland Council land, Community Facilities contractors are responsible for removing dead animals from the land and Healthy Waters contractors are responsible for removing dead animals from the freshwater.

·         Healthy Waters contractors would not normally be responsible for removing dead animals from marine environments such as the ocean or beaches. However, because the Ōrākei Basin is controlled by council managed tidal gates, Healthy Waters are managing the removal of the dead stingrays in the water.

·         The Ōrākei Basin is one of several bodies of water where it is ambiguous whether it is a marine or freshwater body – it is intermediate in nature. As part of the learnings of this incident the council’s i-Know procedures for the call centre and response staff will be amended so it is clear that Ōrākei Basin, and some other similar bodies of water should be treated as freshwater bodies from a procedural perspective.

·         In this instance, Community Facilities contractors removed six stingrays that could be reached from the shore and Healthy Waters contractors removed six stingrays from the water.

·         If a similar incident (dead animals floating in Ōrākei Basin) happens again, the council’s call centre staff should direct the request to the Healthy Waters contractor. Healthy Waters will in turn liaise with Community Facilities.

·         The council’s procedures require that the Department of Conservation is informed in the case of any dead native animal. The Department of Conservation’s interest is around establishing whether the dead animal is a protected species. If it is not (as is the case with these stingrays) then they have no responsibility.

·         The Ministry for Primary Industries are interested in establishing whether the deaths were the result of some sort of exotic disease. In this case they consider that the stingray carcases are too decayed to establish this.

Preventing reoccurrence

·         Presently, there is uncertainty about why or exactly when the stingrays died in Ōrākei Basin. Water quality testing carried out over 13 – 14 August 2020 indicates salinity levels to be in the normal range for the Ōrākei Basin and no obvious evidence of wastewater contamination.

·         Marine experts from the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Department of Conservation consider that the degree of decomposition of the carcasses makes it difficult to establish cause of death. It is difficult to speculate on how long the rays had been dead before washing up. It is possible that at some point in time water quality conditions in the basin may have contributed. Stingray carcasses have been frozen in case they can provide some information.

·         Scientists from the council, the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Department of Conservation are intending to meet as a group to discuss this within the next week. Marine biologists from Kelly Tarltons will be invited to participate in this.

·         The Healthy Waters Safeswim team monitors the public health risk in Ōrākei Basin on a periodic basis. The frequency of testing will be increased, and other water quality parameters will be added to the monitoring programme to help determine whether toxic or harmful water quality is occurring within the basin, and what this means for the flushing regime.

·         Automation of the sluice gates will provide opportunities for increased integration with water quality monitoring.

·         In terms of next steps, you will be informed of any outcomes of the expert meeting and in due course of water quality investigations.

I will update further on this as more information comes to hand

Auckland remains at Alert Level 3

My heart sank on Tuesday night as the news broke that New Zealand’s winning streak – over 100 days COVID free - had come to an end. I know many of you will have shared that deep disappointment and may also have felt apprehension about our safety and the implications for our economy. Just as many businesses were getting back on their feet after a rough time, news of a second lockdown has been a real setback.

It has been wonderful in these last few months to enjoy our freedom again; to see friends and family; to travel within New Zealand; and to do so feeling safe. As much of a blow as it is to feel like we’re taking a step backwards, it is difficult to argue against keeping our communities safe.

A quick reminder of what Alert Level 3 means for us:

• Travel in and out of Auckland will be restricted to essential travel only, with roadblocks in place

• You must work from home unless you are an essential worker

• All schools and childcare facilities will be closed except for children of essential service workers.

• All public facilities, bars, restaurants and businesses should close.

• Supermarkets, pharmacies, and petrol stations remain open and we should shop as normal. Food delivery will be available

• We must keep a 2 metre physical distance and should wear a mask when in public

• You must stay within your household ‘bubble’

• Gatherings are not permitted except for wedding services, funerals and tangihanga

• You must stay home if you are sick, wash your hands, cough or sneeze into your elbow, clean surfaces

• Keep a record of where you have been, use the NZ COVID app (details below)

• If you have cold or flu like symptoms call your GP or Healthline to book a free COVID-19 test, and get tested if asked (details of testing sites below)

All customer-facing council venues such as pools, libraries and community venues are closed under Alert Level 3 and will remain closed until we are given the all clear to reopen by the government response team. This includes playgrounds and any shared equipment in our parks including drinking fountains and benches. Our essential services – like waste, public transport for essential workers, and public toilets – will continue.

My fellow councillors and I were able to quickly transition to working remotely and Thursday’s Planning Committee was held virtually via Skype for Business.

 I will continue to be active and available throughout the course of this lockdown and will maintain communication with  you, other elected members and support staff through skype, email and social media.

It definitely feels easier this time, knowing how things will function and knowing that we were able to continue to govern during the first lockdown. 

At 5.30pm today, Friday 14th August, the Prime Minister announced that Auckland would continue to be under Alert Level 3 for a further 12 days until midnight on Wednesday 26th August. This will take the total lockdown period for this outbreak to 14 days which we know to be the incubation period for the virus and will ensure we can eradicate all traces before we can return to ‘normal’. This will be further reviewed on Friday 21st August.

At this stage, we are being encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 only if we are experiencing any of the following symptoms; cough, loss of smell, sore throat, fever, runny nose, shortness of breath. People who are asymptomatic may be turned away from testing sites. If you’re unsure, give Healthline a call on 0800 358 5453 and they can talk you through it. The test is free and involves just a few moments of discomfort – a small price to pay to play for peace of mind, and knowing you’ve played your part in tackling the virus. here are a number of permanent and ‘pop-up’ testing site across the city – a full list is available here.

From Ōrākei, the closest sites are at Eden Park and in Botany. Both are walk-in/drive through sites so you do not need to make an appointment but please be aware that the queues have been long so take something to eat & drink and please be patient with staff.

·         Eden Park - Bus Hub, Corner of Sandringham Road & Reimers Ave. Open every day 8am-6pm

·         Botany - 292 Botany Road, Golflands. Open every day 8am-5pm

Remember that you can also get tested at your GP. This is also free, but please phone ahead to make an appointment.

The Ministry of Health created a tracing app ‘NZ COVID Tracer’ which allows you to create a digital diary of where you have been by scanning official QR codes at participating businesses. It’s really important that we all do this so that contact tracers can quickly identify and isolate anyone who may have been exposed to COVID-19 if there is a further outbreak in New Zealand.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple store or the Google Play store and a handy how-to guide is available here.

In other news, Auckland Council’s 10-year budget (2018-2028) ring-fences $311 million through a natural environment targeted rate for projects that restore native ecosystem health through council and community-led restoration and pest plant, animal and disease control. Another $452 million from a water quality targeted rate is being invested in cleaner beaches, streams and harbours. The infographics below show how this funds from these targeted rates are being invested. 

I have recently received a progress report on how these funds are being used specifically in the Ōrākei Ward on some really important projects which I know are priorities for many of you.

·         Significant investment in community-led projects to protect and restore local ecosystems and threatened species. In Ōrākei these range from groups focussing on weed management to those protecting seabirds and those preventing kauri dieback.

-          The Eastern Bays Songbird Project is an organisation close to my heart. They have been awarded several grants of between $15,000-$25,000 through this targeted rate which have allowed them to continue their important work in conservation of native birds through pest management, restoring ecological corridors, revegetation and increasing functional ecosystem connectivity.

·         We’re protecting green spaces by increasing pest plant and pest animal control in and around public parks. We are supplementing animal pest control not already delivered under ecological restoration contracts in areas with high biodiversity value. We are also prioritising the management of low incidence pest plants - pest plants which occur in low numbers and can therefore be targeted for eradication.

-          In Ōrākei we are prioritising pest plant control at Dingle Dell Reserve; Kepa Bush Reserve; Macpherson Reserve; Martyn Wilson Fields and Sonia Reserve; Ōrākei Basin; Roberta Reserve; Tāhuna Tōrea Nature Reserve; Waitaramoa Reserve; and Wharua Reserve.

·         We’re also investing to reduce the risk of spread of plant pathogens threatening native species, in particular kauri dieback. This investment is primarily for track upgrades in regional and local parks, to decrease the risk of kauri dieback disease spreading and so closed tracks can be re-opened.

-          Dingle Dell Reserve: The tracks in this reserve are closed and mitigation works are underway to help protect the kauri.

·         We're taking action to manage and reduce marine pests and pest plants and animals on islands to protect priority native species and ecosystems.

-          Inter-Regional Marine Pest Pathway Management Plan: A Top of the North marine biosecurity partnership working group was formed and worked through options analysis. Staff are now developing a formal proposal for a regional marine pest pathway plan.

-          Hauraki Gulf Controlled Area Biosecurity Management Plan: This plan is currently being drafted and will cover the new Regional Pest Management Plan requirements. This substantially increases the number of pests that cannot be moved to, from or between the Hauraki Gulf islands. The new requirements also include mandatory Pest Free Warrants for all transport operators, and increased penalties for non-compliance.

·         As part of the Western isthmus water quality improvement programme $361 million will be invested in infrastructure projects over 10 years to reduce overflows into the Waitematā Harbour. Watercare is also investing $1.2 billion into the Central Interceptor programme which will free up space in our Orakei line and $412 million into the Western Isthmus water quality improvement programme.

-          Ōkahu Bay stormwater network separation project: Construction commenced in October 2019. The project has completed about 45 per cent of public drainage works and separation of 65 private drainage so far. The project is expected to finish in June 2021.

-          Hobson Bay catchment: Investigations are underway around Newmarket Stream, Hapua Stream, Portland Road Stream and Waiata Stream.

·         Safe Networks investigations to locate issues with our water networks and identify solutions to make popular Safeswim sites safe for swimming.

-          Meadowbank (Pourewa West Catchment): Detailed public and private drainage investigations have been completed, with 238 properties visited. Fourteen issues were found and referred to the compliance team to work with property owners. Six have been resolved and eight are in progress.

-          Mission Bay, St Heliers, Kohimarama, Ōkahu Bay, and Judges Bay: Outlet screening investigations and water quality testing has been completed at these sites, to narrow down sources of contaminants. This determines where in the network further investigations are required. Further detailed investigations will commence following the Ōkahu Bay stormwater network separation project.

-          Hobson Bay catchment: Investigations are underway around Newmarket Stream.

·         Stream restoration projects to improve the ecology of local waterways

-          McArthur Avenue (St Heliers) stream stabilisation: This project has progressed to preliminary business case development.

-          Newmarket Stream restoration: Weed control has been completed and the site has been

My colleagues on the Ōrākei Local Board has developed a three-year plan outlining the key initiatives they plan to focus on to help communities thrive and support recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. Now they’re asking for your feedback on their proposals. The plan has five proposed outcomes.

·         Our communities are connected, engaged and resilient

·         Our land, forests, waterways and marine environment are protected, restored and enhanced

·         All parks and open space areas are attractive and well-used places for both active and passive recreation

·         Our transport infrastructure is efficient and connected, enabling people to move around safely and effectively using a range of options

·         Our town centres and local businesses are increasingly vibrant and prosperous

The board will be taking submissions until Monday 17th August so please, if you haven’t already, take this opportunity to help shape the vision for Ōrākei. You can find the draft local board plan here, and your opportunity to submit feedback here.

Tāmaki Drive will be temporarily closed to traffic from 10pm tonight (Friday 14th August) as planned, to allow for essential work to be carried out as part of the project to widen the road and improve safety. A 450-tonne crane will install two 60-tonne beams on the pedestrian bridge at Resolution Point, taking around 18hours for set-up, completion and dismantling for each beam.

While all lanes will be closed to traffic, the southern footpath will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists and if needed, there will be one lane operating for emergency vehicles

The forecast for this weekend looks good – strong winds might have impacted the work - so this work is set to be completed by Sunday afternoon and the road re-opened for those who need to use it on Monday. Please make alternative travel plans over the weekend and use the routes suggested below. More information on the project can be found on Auckland Transport’s website.  

It’s easy to feel hopeless hearing about all the things we are no longer able to do… but there are still many things we can do, and aspects of lockdown which weren’t awful – walks and bike rides on quiet streets, more time to spend with family, skipping the stressful commute, and enjoying a bit of rest and self-care.

Please look after each other and try to stay positive. I’m here to help if you need it.

Desley

EMERGENCY BUDGET 20/21

While it is an honour to chair Auckland Council’s Finance and Performance Committee, it’s certainly not an easy job even at the best of times. Over the past few months, it’s been particularly challenging as we reacted to Covid-19. Scoping up a second annual budget saw me chairing over 100 hours of meetings  and workshops with local boards, councillors, Independent Maori Statutory Board Members and CCO’s to reach a finalised Emergency Budget for 2020-2021.

When we began our original Annual Budget process late last year, council was in a pretty good place financially – we had more money from revenue than we had budgeted for. Comparatively, when New Zealand was able to get moving again following our lockdown period, we found ourselves in a markedly different financial landscape which led to an emergency financial response and an Emergency Budget.

As much as I was aware of the difficulties council faced – a $500million funding gap caused by lost revenue – I was also acutely aware of the financial difficulties many Aucklanders found themselves in. Jobs had been lost; businesses were struggling and across the city, families were struggling. How could we consider raising rates at a time like this? In my mind at this stage, I was firmly in the zero per cent rates rise camp.

However, as council’s finance team took me through the numbers, I began to appreciate the gravity of council’s predicament. Even with initial loss of approximately 600 staff, a savings target 12 times the size it was originally supposed to be, extra debt and deferred spending, there was no viable way for the organisation to continue delivering the essential services communities rely on and the services we are legally obliged to provide, with rates set at anything less than a 2.5 per cent.

Every member of the Finance and Performance Committee (that’s all councillors, two IMSB members and the mayor) came to the same realisation and unanimously supported to consult with communities on a lower 2.5% rates increase to the 3.5% originally suggested pre-Covid. The two options both required significantly different levels of cuts to our services as a result of our revenue loss.

It was clear from the 34, 915 submissions we received that Aucklanders understood the importance of our Emergency Budget and had a lot to say. Sadly, I think some were misled in believing a rates freeze was a tangible option. Looking at other growth councils throughout NZ, they appear to have come to the same conclusion. I’ll be covering their decisions in another update but so far Dunedin has gone for 4.1% rates increase and Wellington is considering as high as 5.1 % rates increase.

Feedback showed there was a real split between those who felt we should keep rates as low as possible, and those advocating for higher rates to protect the community services they love. The results indicated marginal public support (by only 1%) for the 2.5% option. Based on that feedback, I was sitting in the lower 2.5% camp.

But then two important things happened.

Local board feedback came through. All 21 local boards looked at the impact of the two rates options for their communities, analysed feedback and responses from those living in their respective board areas, deliberated and resolved in emergency public board meetings their advocacy position.

All 21 local boards representing the varied and diverse communities of Auckland supported the 3.5% option.

Then, the impacts of our drought situation came to a head. Auckland has been through the worst drought on record, a so-called one in two-hundred-year drought. With lake storage levels already over 20% lower than average, the MetService Office is predicting another dry spring and summer, making severe water restrictions more likely.

After we went out for consultation on the budget, the mayor secured further water supplies from the Waikato but the building of the necessary water treatment plants at Tuakau and Papakura unfortunately comes with a $239 million price tag.

This compounded with our original half a billion dollar loss of revenue would mean we needed to address approximately $700 million hole in our group budget.

When we looked at both rates increase options the difference between 2.5% and 3.5% was $24.62 for the average ratepayer. Yet the impacts were much greater both for local communities and for Auckland.

After pouring over the feedback we received from you; going through multiple scenarios with our  finance team; and thinking long and hard about the short and long-term impacts of this decision, I reluctantly realised that only under 3.5% would we be able to keep beloved services such as libraries, leisure centres and community halls; continue to maintain our parks and public spaces; retain the public transport concessions people rely on like our seniors super gold card; continue to invest in transport and stormwater infrastructure across the region AND solve our water crisis. In short, keep our city running.  

Groups like the Employers and Manufacturers Association also strongly supported 3.5% rates increase recognising that further cuts to the building of infrastructure would slow economic recovery and stand in the way of job growth.

To help ourselves, we are raising debt, deferring capital investment, reducing operational costs and selling off non-strategic assets. This budget raises our debt above our threshold, but we have discussed this with our credit rating agencies to reduce the potential for a credit rating downgrade which would cost us tens of millions more in interest payments. We have maintained as much infrastructure investment as we can to keep people in jobs and stimulate the economy but have deferred projects that can wait.

We have set a significantly higher savings target for this year (over 12 x higher than original budget), dropped our staff spend for the council parent by $26 million and have a committee specifically tasked to look at efficiencies and value for money across our organisation, which I chair. Our acting chief executive is restructuring our organisation saying it will be much leaner as a result. Our Council Controlled Organisations (except for Watercare who are coping with the drought) have also readjusted their budgets down by tens of millions in some cases hundreds of millions to help.

Yet with all that, we still needed to set rates with a 3.5% increase.

Am I happy with that decision? no. But I’m committed to make sure we recover as quickly as we can from the economic and financial impact of Covid-19 which will continue to be felt for some time.  

It felt like a dark day to have led councillors through a process that has increased rates at a time when people are hurting. However we made sure to include an extra rates remission policy especially targeted at assisting ratepayers who had been financially impacted by Covid-19. This new policy offers a deferment of rates for 12 months and is yet another option for rates assistance on top of our current rates postponement policy and our rates rebate scheme. I encourage everyone who is experiencing difficulties to contact council and learn more about these options.

Auckland desperately needs shovel-ready funding, and it needs it now

This opinion piece was originally published by The Spinoff.

As a country we can feel proud of our success in responding to Covid-19, a team of five million coming together to keep our communities safe. We are now in a unique position to recover from the pandemic swiftly, and the government has signaled it is focused on ensuring this happens.

However I question its lack of focus on Auckland, given our city’s pivotal role in the health and wellbeing of the nation’s economy.

As chair of Auckland Council’s Finance and Performance Committee, I am grappling with the devastation Covid-19 has delivered to our finances. We are now looking down the barrel of a $525m revenue hole. On top of this, we are also faced with a water crisis equally as financially challenging, to the tune of over $200m.

Auckland provides at least 38% of our national GDP. As a city, we are 1.6 million of the 5 million strong team – approximately 33% of this country’s population. Our economy provides around 890,000 jobs across multiple industries. It is in the government’s best interest to support us to protect these industries; these jobs; these people. Our people.

In March, the government announced plans to fund large “shovel ready” infrastructure projects to assist in an economic recovery, a package worth $3bn. The projects for consideration would need to be focused on water, transport, clean energy, and buildings and would also need to have a public or regional benefit, create jobs and be able to get underway quickly. In response, Auckland Council submitted 73 projects that met the outlined criteria in the hope that any committed funding would ease our financial predicament.

So far, there has only been one related announcement that Auckland would receive $500m of the fund with one Auckland City Mission project confirmed. With no other detail, we remain in the dark as to whether we will share in any of the funding allocated to the region.

Last month, I wrote to the prime minister personally. I asked for help in committing shovel ready funding to Auckland Council projects for financial year 2020/21. I asked that the appropriate ministers make an announcement on this funding for Auckland in time for us to consider the implications for our emergency budget.

With no response, I then co-signed another letter with Mayor Goff following a unanimous resolution by the mayor and councillors seeking to convey similar sentiments. We asked that the prime minister and government assist us by advising funding decisions by Friday 10 July, noting our emergency budget had to be agreed the following week.

That date has now been and gone and we have received no word from Wellington. It is hugely frustrating and disappointing that Auckland hasn’t been prioritised. In fact, as Auckland Council staff work day and night to provide us options to alleviate financial pressures, they do so without knowledge of any support from central government.

Given the government’s understanding of the challenges we face, I would have thought our very first call to action would be answered. With less than a week to go until we need to make our final budget decisions, their silence on this matter is bewildering.

So, if the government, in particular the prime minister is reading this, please take this as my final plea: Auckland deserves to receive investment through shovel ready funding for the 2020/21 year. And most importantly, we deserve it before our emergency budget is voted on.

Half-billion dollar hole in council's books

I am sure you will now be aware of the significant impact COVID-19 has had on the economy —globally and in New Zealand. In Auckland, the lockdowns, border closures, and restrictions on gatherings have had a devastating effect on local business and jobs.

Like others, Auckland Council has been severely affected, with the pandemic punching a half-billion-dollar hole in our annual revenue for next year.

Unlike many councils, Auckland Council gets most of its income (60 per cent) from sources other than rates. As a result of COVID-19, much of the money we would normally receive from facilities like the zoo, pools and recreation centres, public transport fares, Ports of Auckland revenue, dividends from the Airport, consenting fees and charges, and revenue from Watercare—has all but dried up.

We have prioritised support to individuals and businesses facing hardship in the wake of COVID-19. However, by proposing to extend our rates postponement scheme, we will see a further reduction in income for the upcoming year.

In response to this dire situation, we face the immense challenge of agreeing an Emergency Budget that allows us to maintain the essential services Aucklanders need, and build for the future.

This is not a situation of our own making, nor is it one of financial mismanagement. In fact, had we not been in such a strong financial position prior to this pandemic, things would be a lot worse.

So, what we are doing to help ourselves? Staff costs are large and as a result we are making cuts to address that. Around 1100 temporary and fixed term roles are being reviewed with more than 600 already let go, consultancy fees have been slashed and the mayor, councillors, executives, board members and senior staff have accepted voluntary pay reductions of up to 20 per cent.

Many have also asked me about cutting the high salaries within our CCO’s. Currently, the mayor and councillors cannot force CCO Boards to cut remuneration of CEO’s and top executives. Legally binding employment agreements are between each CCO Board and their CEOs or between the CEO and their staff.

That said, CCO’s are contributing a combined $50 million of savings for this budget, with more to come.

Council has also committed to a comprehensive review of our operating spend. This will see staff numbers further reduced, training budgets dramatically cut, and all other “nice to haves” effectively eliminated. We are targeting a record breaking $120 million dollars of savings next year. To put this in context, that’s twice as much as the direct costs of running all our libraries for a year.

Further to this, the Value for Money committee which I chair will identify another half a billion dollars of potential efficiencies over this political term.

However, these internal cuts won’t come close to filling the hole COVID-19 has left in our pocket.

This leaves us with a series of trade-offs across four areas: budget to maintain our buildings and employ staff known as operational spend, the money we use to invest in new infrastructure referred to as capital expenditure, the temporary leasing or permanent sale of assets, and temporarily increasing our reliance on borrowing money.

To find a balance, we propose to use all of these levers to ease our immediate financial burden. As a result, you may see a change in the opening hours of local facilities. We might need to delay infrastructure projects, like improving roading or stormwater assets, or suspend plans to upgrade town centres. We will also need to look at how we manage our assets and consider selling buildings we can’t afford to keep. But we will protect the essential services Aucklanders rely on.

I want to stress that no matter how effectively we use these four levers, we will struggle to get cash in the door. For those of you operating businesses, you will understand that without revenue, your ability to operate becomes difficult.

Essentially, the less cash we receive, the more cuts we will need to make. This is important when you consider the options in front of us.

Further details of these trade-offs are laid out in our Emergency Budget consultation document. Some of these options will seem drastic, but such measures are required to help us work our way out of this.

Getting through this won’t be easy but if we work together and make some of the tough calls now, we can recover stronger as a city. This is why it is so important you take part in the budget consultation. We want to hear from you; your ideas and suggestions, and we want to know what is most important to you and your community.

Consultation on Auckland Council’s Emergency Budget is open now and closes at midnight on Friday 19 June.

Please make your voice heard—visit akhaveyoursay.nz/emergency-budget to have your say.

CHEAPER PUBLIC TRANSPORT in JUNE

What is this about?

During June 2020 AT is introducing a special 30% off fare offer on buses and trains during off-peak periods.

Customers tagging on with their AT HOP cards after 9am and before 3pm will receive 30% off the normal adult AT HOP fare. The same applies for travel after 6pm until the end of service.

Students travelling with Tertiary Concessions will receive an additional 10% off their normal 20% concession.

This special offer is for June only and doesn’t apply on ferries or on Skybus services.

Background

Due to COVID-19, physical distancing on public transport means that we have limited capacity on all of our services. We have capacity issues on some popular train and bus routes during peak and we need to encourage customers to shift their travel times.

We know from research that many of our customers are now more willing to travel to work after the morning peak. This special offer will encourage our customers to make this change and, in doing so, spread loadings on our trains and buses.

This is a very special offer in response to COVID-19.

Newsletter 29 May

It’s been another great week for New Zealand in our fight to fully eliminate this virus – no new cases have been reported for 7 days and we currently have just 1 active case. This is great news, and a reflection on how well New Zealanders have handled the cautious transition back to ‘normal’ life.

Details of the financial predicament Auckland Council finds itself in as a result of COVID-19 and the lockdown period are now public. Like many of you, we continue to be adversely affected by the necessary public health restrictions and have an income gap of over half a billion dollars to find.

It’s pretty daunting however this week, the Mayor and my fellow Councillors,  finalised the details of Auckland Council’s first ever Emergency Budget which seeks to allow us to build for the future, maintain our essential services, and prudently make cuts to our spending. 

This is not a situation of our own making, nor is it one of financial mismanagement. In fact, had we not been in such a strong financial position prior to this pandemic, things could definitely have been a lot worse. A few months back, I committed our Value for Money committee to find half-a-billion dollars-worth of savings and efficiencies across council over the three-year term. Now, we are required to do this and so much more.

Many of you have asked, and rightly so, what we are doing to help ourselves.

 I understand the need for ratepayers to ask this of us and I believe we have made some very difficult but necessary decisions. For instance, 1100 temporary staff have lost their jobs, consultancy fees have been slashed and a comprehensive review of council’s operating model has begun. This review will see us lose staff to redundancies. Salaries have and will continue to be reduced on a voluntary basis, including the remuneration of elected members, executives, board members and staff from our Council Controlled Organisations, such as Auckland Transport. Training budgets will be drastically reduced, and all other discretionary spending will almost cease.

However, no matter how hard we go with internal cuts we still won’t come close to filling the hole left in our pocket. When you suddenly lose sixty per cent of your business, no single lever will help you recover.

We have some very difficult decisions to make. There is a very delicate balance of promoting economic recovery, supporting those experiencing hardship and ensuring we can continue to offer essential services across the region

The consultation period for this Emergency Budget opened today, Friday 29th May. This is where we need your help – we want to hear your views. The consultation document and supporting documents we approved this week are available online and provide further detail on what we are asking for feedback on.

As well as giving you the opportunity to submit feedback online, we will be holding a series of community webinars via Skype which I’d invite you all to participate in. The format will be a relaxed informal discussion involving the relevant Ward Councillors and subject matter experts. You can submit questions when you register or during the event itself. These will be moderated and put to elected members and subject matter experts by our MC for the evening.

The Central Auckland event is on Tuesday 9th June 6.30-8pm

The session on Rates Postponements is on Monday 8th June 6.30-8pm

The session on the Accommodation Provider Targeted Rate is on Tuesday 16th June 6.30-8pm

Further details and timings of all the events are available here.

I would urge you to take part and submit your feedback online. It’s so important that we get this right which is why we are asking communities across the Auckland region to let us know what is most important to them.

We know many challenges lie ahead of us. But we want to tackle them together, as a city unified. We came together to face the risk COVID-19 posed to the health of our loved ones. Now we must come together to face this resultant economic uncertainty.

As more and more people return to work, those who travel along Tamaki Drive particularly by bus or car will be impacted by the ongoing works on Tamaki Drive. I have received an update on the situation regarding the next stage of works- placement of the rig required to extend the width of the road on the causeway. This was initially going to be placed on Point Resolution Bridge itself but AT have now found that the bridge is unable to support the load. The option of placing the rig on a lane of traffic was not considered as this would require closing Tamaki Drive in one direction which would be unacceptable. Instead, the rig will operate from a barge in the sea.

Staff will be onsite full-time and will monitor traffic flows. They cannot guarantee two lanes in peak hours for the next few weeks. However there is flexibility to open a third lane if unacceptable traffic delays arise as a result of the works. A full update can be viewed here.

 On a more positive note, I’m sure you’re all looking forward to the Queen’s Birthday long weekend now that we’re able to get out and about with our friends and families.

The following is a list of things you can do here in Auckland this weekend at venues which have been able to re-open and some links to info on how you can visit them safely at Alert Level 2:

·         MOTAT – 50% off entry prices during level 2 - details here

·         Auckland Museum – currently hosting the World Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition. The museum will be lit up at night to celebrate Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa (Samoan Language Week)! Details here

·         Rainbow’s End is now open with reduced capacity under level 2 – details here.

·         Auckland Zoo is open but you MUST book online here

·         ASB Showgrounds are hosting a series of Drive-in Movies to give people the cinema experience from the safety of their own vehicles – showings here

·         The Maritime Museum is open – details here

·         Auckland Art Gallery will re-open its doors on Saturday 13th June. Until then, you can visit Te Uru Art Gallery in Titirangi

·         Pools and Leisure Centres – a list of which of council’s pools and leisure centres are able to re-open and when is available here

·         A list of which of council’s  libraries are able to re-open and when is available here

·         Playgrounds across the region are all now open!

Finally despite all this wet weather we’ve been having, staff at Watercare have advised that the levels in our reservoirs have only improved by a few percent over the last week. This means we all need to continue to play our part in conserving water: keep showers under 4 minutes, turn off taps when brushing your teeth, fully load up dishwashers and washing machines and remember not to use outdoor hoses or water-blasters.

Despite all that please, keep smiling and have a safe and relaxing  long weekend

Desley

11 May - Newsletter

Fingers crossed that the beginning of the end is finally in sight re our Covid-19 situation. Cabinet will make its decision TODAY  as to when exactly we can safely move to Alert Level 2.

It's encouraging to hear that the essence of level 2 is to get the economy back in full swing, as many people back to work as possible and to ensure we do this safely. I know many of you will feel similarly comforted to see our local businesses re-open. There is a strong ‘shop local’ campaign going in our neighbourhood which like many of you, I’m strongly supporting.

Key things to remember at Alert Level 2 (further details can be found here)

·         Continue to wash your hands, and high touch surfaces, thoroughly & frequently.

·         Our borders will remain closed except to returning Kiwis who will continue to spend 14 days in quarantine.

·         You can begin to see close friends and family beyond your bubble but continue to reduce close contact with strangers - continue to keep at least 2 metres between you and strangers.

·         We are advised not to meet in large groups. But we may honour events such as funerals and weddings with a maximum of 100 guests, whether inside or outside.

·         We can travel elsewhere in New Zealand for work, business or to visit close friends & family.

·         Businesses can re-open if they can do so safely. Retail stores will limit numbers of shoppers and will insist on physical distancing. Services such as hairdressers will re-open ensuring appropriate hygiene measures and staff have appropriate PPE. Working from home is recommended if it's an option - the fewer people in workplaces the better.

·         All educational facilities will re-open the following Monday, but distance learning is still recommended if possible. 

Having Your Say….

A consultation period opened this week on two local transport proposals. The first is for a new pedestrian island and footpath outside 165 Abbots Way, Remuera. Ōrākei Local Board and Auckland Transport are proposing to install a new raised pedestrian island and footpath to create safer access to the upgraded Waiatarua Reserve entrance on Abbots Way. Local residents and businesses will receive this information by post and the details and the online feedback form can be found here. Please submit your feedback by Monday 18th May - this is an important opportunity to ensure local views are taken into account.

The second consultation is for a new zebra crossing at 129 Portland Road in Remuera. The new raised zebra crossing is expected to improve road safety for our walking school busses and others walking in the area by slowing approaching traffic and assisting the crossing of Portland Rd. As above letters will be delivered to locals affected by the proposal but as above Portland Rd is used by many outside of the immediate neighbours. For those of you wanting to have your say, please see the Auckland Transport information here. Feedback opened on 8 May and closes on 22 May. Your views matter and are vital to making sure things are done right.

More generally we have some good news re recycling. Our paper and cardboard recycling process resumed as normal at the start of May as we have successfully secured an overseas market for mixed paper and cardboard materials. For those of us who try to do our best in terms of recycling, it was really frustrating when the virus temporarily impacted our ability to send paper recycling overseas to be processed. I'm glad we've found a solution.

In terms of plastics, please still continue to put these in your recycling bin as usual, and we will recycle everything we can. The types of plastics which make up the bulk of kerbside recycling (77%) are able to be recycled. These are primarily drink bottles, containers and takeaway boxes. Unfortunately, we are currently sending some other mixed plastics to landfill while the markets continue to be affected be the pandemic. Rest assured we will get things back on track as soon as we can.

 I'm also happy to share that many of our big projects which had to be halted under Alert Level 4 are now back underway. These include the City Rail Link and the road raising project on the Tamaki Drive causeway.  You may be interested to read that the return to business and construction under alert level 3 created a noticeable increase in the seismic readings of the city, having previously decrease during the month we spent at alert level 4. As well as detecting earthquakes and potential volcanic eruptions, these readings pick up the daily hum of city life - traffic, construction and the hustle & bustle of people moving around. A sign that our city is coming back to life and waking up from ‘hibernation’.

I’m sure like me you are enjoying getting out and about in the fine weather. Despite the short burst of heavy rain over the weekend, our reservoir storage levels are still worrying low following one Auckland's most severe Summer droughts. On Thursday this week, council's emergency committee approved mandatory Stage 1 water use restrictions which will come into effect from Saturday 16th May. Until then, restricting our water usage is voluntary, but I would strongly urge you to use water sparingly in the hopes that we can prevent a need to impose further restrictions.

I want to emphasise though, that this does not affect the use of water for drinking or health and safety reasons. For households, it means not using hoses or water blasters. For businesses, hoses and water blasters are prohibited except when used for health, safety, emergency or biosecurity reasons; car washes can only operate using recycled water; and only those sports fields with irrigation systems, soil moisture sensors can operate. Further advice about reducing our water usage can be found here.

 Sticking with the important topic of water, I'd like to touch on the situation regarding water quality in Hobson Bay. I'm very keen to get this sorted, and fast - it's unacceptable to me that this beautiful area is currently a health risk.  Unfortunately, the message from our staff at Healthy Waters and Watercare is that the poor water quality is due to network issues such as historic, combined wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. Addressing this will require significant investment in infrastructure improvements. Work has started on the repairs though. Staff are looking into long-term infrastructure solutions and have carried out extensive dry weather water quality testing in Newmarket Stream and adjacent streams that flow into Hobson Bay. Investigations are now underway to identify network faults such as dry weather blockages in the wastewater network, incorrectly plumbed wastewater (including illegal private cross connections) and broken drainage infrastructure all of which are contributing to the problem. I will continue to keep you updated as these investigations progress and a plan to fix this is put in place. The water quality should never have been allowed to get this bad and staff are very clear as to my direction to address improvements with urgency. I’m sure you are aware the next nearest safe swimming sites are at Judges Bay and Ōkahu Bay, neither of which are at risk from this contamination and remember you can always check Safeswim page for real time data on water quality at our beaches.

 I’ve talked in previous newsletters about record keeping of our time in lockdown during COVID-19 and what the next generations will potentially learn about the year 2020 and the Covid-19 situation. Auckland Museum are looking to capture this moment in time by collating objects, photographs and documents representing of a wide range of Aucklander's experiences of the pandemic. The idea is to capture the ways in which COVID-19 has impacted all of us and to illustrate what life is like in lockdown; how we are connecting and creating community while in a state of quarantine; issues we are debating; personal protective equipment and how we are protecting ourselves; creativity while in lockdown and the like

If you or your children would like to be part of this cool project, further details and the form to submit your entry, can be found on the museum's web page.

 Please continue to stay safe, look out for each other and reach out if you are struggling.

We have all experienced difficulty on some level in these last few months, but we're almost there.

Thanks to each and every one of you for the part you are playing.

Desley

1 May - Newsletter

Over the last week, it's been so lovely to see and hear, our city begin to come back to life. I've really enjoyed being able to start my day with a perfect, barista-made, flat white  ( while social distancing of course) and our house has already started ordering food from some of our local restaurants ( I’m a bit over cooking every night let me tell you)

However, it’s important that we don't consider our time at alert level 3 as 'back to normal' . Whilst it's great to see many businesses able to re-open and begin to breathe life back into the economy, we must ensure this is done safely and keep contact to a minimum. Our Environmental Health Team have been supporting cafes and restaurants to safely re-open - businesses are required to have in place a COVID-19 safety plan that sets out how they will operate under level 3 to ensure the safety of both staff and the public. Please remember  when supporting local establishments, you continue practicing social distancing.

Following days of so few new COVID-19 cases, I can understand the temptation to look for loopholes or ways you can begin to socialise outside your bubble. But we must not let our guard down. I know it's difficult - I am really struggling with missing my own grandchildren. But if we become complacent, we risk allowing a second wave of cases and our sacrifices will have been for nothing. We have come so far together, let's see this through.

Noticed more cars on the road? I have,  but remember we should still only be driving if we need to.

Please be mindful that over the last month people, especially small children, have grown accustomed to the streets being almost empty. Now more than ever is a time to keep an extra look out for those on foot, bikes and scooters. Public transport will continue to be free during alert level 3, but again please only use buses and trains if you need to travel.

I can tell you its a tough time to be  chair of the Finance and Performance Committee.  To help you understand how tough, I will be sharing details of some of the challenges council is facing during these tight financial times. I hope to reassure Aucklanders that we are considering everything, and everyone, in preparation for what will be some difficult decisions for our next budget. This includes explaining the measures we are taking to cut our own costs to manage the financial impact of Covid-19.

This week, I focussed on action to support Aucklanders experiencing financial hardship in terms of how we approach the final rates payment of this year. Guidance on how you can request to defer your May payment will be included in your next rates notice, as well as information on assistance schemes you could be eligible for that are designed to help those in need. The full  article  published today in the Herald was under a paywall but another version can be found on OurAuckland.

 Let's continue supporting each other; taking time out for our own mental health; supporting local businesses, following the rules and getting through this together.

ANZAC Newsletter

The end of Alert Level 4 Lockdown is in sight.

Following the long weekend, at 11.59pm on Monday 27th April New Zealand is moving down to Alert Level 3. It's only because the vast majority of New Zealanders stayed home and stuck to the rules that this is able to happen, so well done!

Initially, NZ will operate at Level 3 for a two week period. Cabinet will continue to monitor the situation and make a further decision on Monday 11th May as to whether we are able to progress to Level 2. Again, this is entirely contingent on us continuing to follow the rules and keep ourselves, and each other, safe. Here's a quick reminder of those rules for life at Level 3.

The Golden Rules for life at Alert Level 3

·         Stay home. If you are not at work, school, exercising or getting essentials then you must be at home, the same as at Alert Level 4.

·         Work and learn from home if you can. We still want the vast majority of people working from home, and children and young people learning from home. At-risk students and staff should also stay at home, and they will be supported to do so. Early learning centres and schools will physically be open for up to Year 10 for families that need them.

·         Make your business COVID-19 safe. COVID-19 has spread in workplaces, so the quid pro quo of being able to open, is to do business  in such a way that doesn’t spread the virus.

·         Stay regional. You can exercise at parks or beaches within your region, but the closer to home the better. Activities must be safe – keep 2 metres away from anybody not in your bubble. Make minimal trips.

·         Keep your bubble as small as possible. If you need to, you can expand your bubble a small amount to bring in close family, isolated people or caregivers ( a secret yeah from me as this means I can now see my grandchildren)

·         Wash your hands often with soap. Then dry them. Cough and sneeze into your elbow.

·         If you are sick, stay at home and quickly seek advice from your GP or Healthline about getting a test. There is no stigma to COVID-19. We will only be successful if everyone is willing to play their part in finding it wherever it is.

The Golden Rules for businesses at Alert Level 3

·         If your business requires close physical contact it can’t operate.

·         Your staff should work from home if they can.

·         Customers cannot come onto your premises. Unless you are a supermarket, dairy, petrol station, pharmacy or permitted health service.

·         Your business must be contactless. Your customers can pay online, over the phone or in a contactless way. Delivery or pick-up must also be contactless.

·         Basic hygiene measures must be maintained. Physical distancing, hand washing and regularly cleaning surfaces. Workers must stay home if they are sick.

·         If you used PPE in your business before COVID-19, then keep using it in the same way. If you didn’t use PPE in your business before COVID-19, you don’t need it now. This is advice for retailers, manufacturers and the service industries. Different advice applies to essential healthcare workers, border agencies, courts and tribunal staff, first responders and corrections staff.

·         Visit health.govt.nz for more advice

·         You must meet all other health and safety obligations.

I'm very conscious of the extent to which local business owners, especially small businesses have been adversely affected by the lockdown and look forward to the opportunity for some of them to re-open under level 3. While we are still unable to go out to eat, many cafes and restaurants will be serving food on a pick-up or delivery basis.

I would urge you to think carefully about where you choose to order takeaways from. It might be tempting to order from the big international chains, but for family-owned local businesses, your support right now is vital to their survival. Think about which independent businesses in your neighbourhood you would be sad to lose and check their website or social media pages to find out if they are offering takeaways at level 3. Collecting your meals in person or using restaurants' in-house delivery option (rather than going through a third party) means maximum profits will go to that business.

Although, some of those third party apps for ordering food are better than others - Eat Local NZ (www.eatlocalNZ.com) is a Kiwi start-up created specifically in response to the current situation. Its mission is to help local businesses get back on their feet by taking a cut of 5% rather than 35% like some larger, international food delivery companies. After entering your location, it will list the options for ordering food for collection or delivery in your neighbourhood.  

ANZAC Day parades and services - in particular the Dawn Service at the Cenotaph - are an important tradition and an opportunity for Aucklanders to gather; commemorate; acknowledge and reflect. Like so many other public events, it's not currently possible to hold these important events safely and, for the first time in our history they have been cancelled. I know many of you are used to attending the St Heliers Service by the flagpole, the RSA Orakei service or one located in our sports venues such as the long standing College Rifles event.  The way we commemorate will feel different this year, but the sentiment will be the same. Below are some of the ways we can show are respect to those fallen, while adhering to social distancing guidelines and keeping our families safe.

Stand At Dawn

At 6am on Anzac Day, Saturday 25 April, a virtual service will be broadcast on Radio NZ National, bringing New Zealanders elements of a traditional Anzac Day service including The Last Post. The advice, as ever, is to remain in your bubbles and mark this moment from your doorways, windows, balconies or front porches - 'Stand together, apart'. More details can be found on the RSA website.

Teddies wear poppies this Anzac Day

Children can be involved by giving the bears in their windows their very own poppy to wear. This provides an opportunity to talk to your children about the symbolism of the poppy and the significance of this day for New Zealand. You can download a poppy-making stencil here and then share a photo of your Anzac bear in the window on Instagram: #AnzacBearAKL.

Landmarks light up to commemorate our heroes

Vector Lights will shine poppy-red on the east side of Auckland Harbour Bridge (city facing) from 7.30pm to midnight from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 April to commemorate Anzac Day. Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath will also light up on those evenings. Auckland War Memorial Museum will shine in a uniform display of red light from dusk on Friday 24 April until dawn on Sunday 26 April as a commemorative tribute to this important day.

And, all four landmarks – the east side of the bridge, Lightpath, museum and SkyTower – will light up in unison from 3am to 7am on Saturday 25 April, ushering in the dawn on Anzac Day.

Commemorating Anzac Day at home

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira will commemorate Anzac Day in 2020, albeit in a different way.

While the museum remains closed to the public, The Last Post still plays daily prior to 5pm and the flags are raised at dawn and lowered at dusk. In absence of a physical gathering, the museum’s Online Cenotaph will be a place for people to come together, lay a virtual poppy and leave messages for loved ones who have served, as well as read stories about returned service people. Our Auckland Museum at Home online hub also has a special Anzac Day page with articles, activities and videos suitable for all ages to learn and participate in Anzac Day commemoration traditions including a great recipe for ANZAC biscuits.

Remuera Heritage has a wonderful digital exhibition keeping the Anzac spirit alive through online storytelling. Their website has over 140 stories of Remuera men and women who served and died in WW1. They went to our local schools, lived in our streets and would all have known each other and been well known in the Remuera community. They were mainly in their early 20s when they died.

St Heliers Business Association have a short ANZAC acknowledgement on their facebook page here

 https://www.facebook.com/StHeliers/videos/1109545379422024/   and the St Heliers/Glendowie Scouts who have had a longstanding role in organising the St Heliers Service have created a virtual service which can be found here  https://bit.ly/ANZACDAY2020  

Finally, as our drought continues, please continue to use water sparingly. Our reservoirs are currently at 46% with not much rain expected in the rest of this month. Fortunately, rain is forecast for May, but until then let's continue to use the water we need, and leave car-washing, watering the grass, and long showers until after our supply returns to a healthier level. Watercare have said that voluntary water reductions are working well - let's keep it that way so we don't have to impose restrictions.

Enjoy another relaxing long weekend spending time with your families and reflecting on the strength and resilience of New Zealanders, past and present.

Lest we forget

Desley