Mayor Phil Goff is calling on Aucklanders to have their say on Auckland Council’s 2022/23 Annual Budget, which opened for public consultation this morning.

Mayor Goff says the proposed budget is strongly focused on tackling the climate crisis while continuing to address financial pressures caused by COVID-19 and maintain high levels of investment in critical infrastructure.

“While we remain strongly focused on COVID-19 and the steps needed to support economic recovery, we also know that the longer-term threat facing Auckland and the world is the climate crisis.

“The effects of global heating are already with us: 2021 was the hottest year in New Zealand since records began more than a century ago, and extreme weather events like flooding and droughts are becoming more frequent,” he says.

“That’s why we are proposing a Climate Action Targeted Rate (CATR) to deliver $1 billion of investment in new climate initiatives. Funding raised will lay the foundation for the urgent action we need to take to avoid our children and grandchildren becoming the victims of a climate disaster.

“At a cost of around $1.10 a week for the median-value residential property, it will attract co-funding from government and deliver benefits across all parts of our city through major improvements to public transport services, walking, cycling and urban tree canopy.

“This includes over $500 million of new investment in new bus routes and improved services region-wide, which will see a further 170,000 Aucklanders – 10 per cent of the population – brought within 500 metres of a frequent bus service,” he says.

Other investments enabled by the CATR include:

• $122 million to progress decarbonisation of the ferry fleet, which accounts for 21 per cent of Auckland’s emissions from public transport
• $228 million for walking and cycling
• $13.3 million to plant thousands of semi-mature native trees in areas with low canopy coverage, predominantly in south Auckland

The proposed budget also includes a range of measures to give the council flexibility to meet the financial impacts of COVID-19, and improving management of the city’s refuse collection.

Have your say

Feedback can be provided online, via email, by phone, post and at Have Your Say events so Aucklanders are encouraged to get involved and make their voices heard. Visit AKhaveyoursay.nz to find out more and have your say.

After decisions are made in June 2022 the final budget will be available on aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

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