Like as it is for so many of you, Auckland Council’s finances have been adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our revenue has taken a real hit and we now face the challenge of balancing our budget while maintaining essential services.
From the end of May to later June, the public consultation process for our first ever Emergency Budget asked you to get involved and tell us what you thought of a number of proposals to address the half billion dollar hole in our revenue. Large numbers of people from across the region took part by submitting feedback online, answering questions by telephone or taking part in the online webinars which took the place of our usual public meetings, due to the restrictions on gatherings in place at that time.
I’m so grateful to everyone who took the time to share their views with us – it’s imperative that we get this right and we can’t do that without you. Always at the heart of my decision making are the views of my community, so thank you sincerely for your input.
So what happens next? Your feedback will be collated and reported back to the mayor and councillors on July 8, before we make the final difficult decisions a week later. The Emergency Budget will be formally adopted on July 30, and published the next day. I will continue to keep you all updated throughout this process on Facebook and via my own site, desleysimpson.co.nz
We know that New Zealand’s approach to tackling Covid-19 has hit businesses hard. As we emerge from the public health aspect of our response and focus on our economic recovery, a local-led approach is key to ensuring our communities can thrive. I’ve been talking to a number of business owners and business association managers about how we can best continue to support the local businesses we love.
The Parnell Business Association’s Cheryl Adamson made a great suggestion that as well as purchasing from local stores and retailers, you can also help by being the blogger you’ve always wanted to be, using your voice online. Taking the time to follow businesses on social media and sharing reviews of positive experiences is a really good way to help those businesses gain traction online.
Robin Chemaly of the Remuera Business Association reminds us of the wide range of options Remuera offers to shoppers and diners — everything is available right on your doorstep. As well as quality restaurants and cafés serving great coffee, Remuera also has world-class hairdressers; antique jewellers; designer fashion labels and grocers selling healthy, organic produce.
We often think of our beachside villages such as Mission Bay as summer destinations, but it’s important to remember that they are open all year round. Beachside businesses tend to rely on support from locals during winter – this year more so than ever! Megan Burgess of Mission Bay Business Association explained that most of these beachside businesses are owned and operated by local families and asks that we take this opportunity to have the venues “all to yourselves” while there’s a temporary absence of overseas tourists.
This pandemic has offered us a real opportunity to reset and reconsider how we live our lives. I’m encouraged by the way communities have rallied round to support each other in challenging times and hope that together we can continue to embrace this local-led approach.