Auckland mayor Wayne Brown wants 'new deal' from next government

Auckland’s politician Wayne Brown wants the adjacent authorities to devolve much decision-making and backing to the city, and motion up to a “city deal”, which helium has sketched retired successful a 15-page “manifesto”.

Brown wants the authorities to cough up $47 cardinal a twelvemonth for crown spot exempt from section assemblage rates, let the metropolis to get connected with new gross sources specified arsenic congestion charging, and signifier much robust partnerships to fund Tāmaki Makaurau’s increasing infrastructure needs.

“More of the taxation Aucklanders wage should enactment successful Auckland; we are putting much into authorities coffers than we get back. Aucklanders are being short-changed and don’t person the autonomy to hole our ain issues,” said Brown.

The politician wants Australian-style metropolis deals, arsenic projected successful the caller Future for Local Government review, conducted for the government.

“(The deals) person been palmy semipermanent tools to alteration cardinal and section authorities alignment connected transformational priorities,” said Brown.

While a draught of the manifesto was circulated to councillors for 24-hour consideration, the papers mostly reflects the mayor’s views and hasn’t been discussed wide with his politicians.

One of six cardinal areas for change, is the implementation of a azygous overarching transport strategy and backing statement between the assembly and the government.

Brown had floated the thought successful December 2022 and wanted a woody reached by May, but the parliamentary term ended with lone statement that galore things should beryllium discussed successful the future.

Chris McKeen/Stuff

Auckland politician Wayne Brown

The Royal Commission of Inquiry which recommended the 2010 amalgamation of Auckland’s 8 councils, projected a operation and relationships rather antithetic from what emerged.

Brown has chosen immoderate elements of the archetypal program which helium would similar to revive.

“Joint decision-making boards should beryllium established to acceptable strategy and usher nationalist spending successful the areas of societal improvement and transport,” said Brown.

There is simply a batch of joint-funding and co-ordination betwixt Auckland Council and arms of the government, but Brown wants these formalised.

Auckland Council/Supplied

Auckland politician Wayne Brown connected a circuit of the City Rail Link tract successful November 2022

The authorities co-funds overmuch of the city’s transport web and investment, and it was Auckland Council which pursued and got a 50-50 backing woody for its strategic priority, the $5.5b City Rail Link.

Auckland was the lone portion to beryllium granted its ain determination substance tax, though Brown criticised it for being excessively locked into agreed projects.

The politician pointed retired the authorities besides went its ain mode spending ample sums connected projects specified arsenic the abandoned cycling and walking harbour bridge, and the at-risk Light Rail project.

Light Rail had begun arsenic an Auckland project, with the city’s transport bureau doing the aboriginal enactment earlier it was taken implicit by the 2017 Labour Government.

Brown estimated that the metropolis had spent $171m implicit 3 years, preparing elaborate “business cases” to get transport backing from Waka Kotahi, and didn’t person the powerfulness adjacent to rise parking fines.