Auckland Council agrees final 10-year Budget

Auckland Council has today agreed on its final 10-year Budget, introducing an interim transport levy to help fix the region’s transport issues as well as agreeing an average general rates increase of 2.5 per cent for 2015/16.

The council will also continue to seek government support for alternative funding for transport. Councillors agreed to keep the Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC) at $385.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown says that the council was committed to being as efficient as possible while tackling the serious issues the region faced, as well as providing Aucklanders with value for money.

“This budget is a huge step for Aucklanders, who told us in record numbers during the consultation process that they wanted us to get on and fix the transport issues facing the region - and that they were willing to pay for it,” he says.

“We knew that this would be a difficult budget and we had to get it right. We have worked long and hard on this to ensure that as an organisation we cut our cloth accordingly, while still being able to service the needs across our growing communities.”

Other decisions made included an agreement on the creation of a new Council Controlled Organisation called Development Auckland, which will see Waterfront Auckland merge with Auckland Council Properties Limited.

In addition, the standardisation of library hours across the region meant that total library opening hours will now remain unchanged.

A new $10million per year fund is to be created for local board capital expenditure, while $470,000 was allocated to for emergency housing, homelessness and rough-sleeping responses across Auckland.

At the end of the Budget Committee meeting the council convened its Governing Body to approve the decisions.

Other key decisions made include:

The long-term business differential strategy. Business rates will be reduced at a slower rate, limiting the impact on residential ratepayers at 0.5 per cent per annum, until 2036/2037.

No further capping on rates increases or decreases. This means that all ratepayers in each rating category who own similar value properties would pay the same rates no matter where in Auckland they live.

Housing for older people
The rent on the council’s Housing for Older Persons units will be set at 30 per cent of tenants’ pre-tax income, the rent be adjusted annually based on tenants income. For any given year, changes to annual rents (including increases and decreases) for existing tenants resulting from the above be capped at $10 per week implemented in $5 steps at six month intervals.

Underwriting of up to $450,000 capex funding to the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust
For the purposes of contributing towards the purchase costs of a new rescue helicopter.

Surf Lifesaving Northern Region
Provide funding of $1.9 million over the first four years of the LTP for the purposes of redevelopment of the highest priority surf clubs.

Next steps

• The full Long-term Plan will be formally adopted at the Governing Body committee on 25 June
• The budget will then come into force from 1 July
• In July, the final 10-year budget will be available both online and in hard copy at libraries, service centres and local board offices. A summary of feedback and decisions made will also be available to view on the Auckland Council website.
•
A full breakdown of decisions made will be available online via the meeting minutes in due course.

A summary of decisions made and recommendations to Governing Body is attached.

–ENDS-

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