As you will hopefully be aware, Council’s Annual Plan 2022/23 is out for consultation and closes on 28 March.
This newsletter seeks to give you some further information as to what is in the draft budget for our local area and if everything in the draft budget went ahead, what it would cost the Orakei and Waitemata ratepayers (noting parts of these two local boards make up the Orakei Ward)
Background
The mayor has proposed what we now know will be his last budget as Mayor of Auckland. The proposal includes 3.5% average general rates increase, a $3 billion infrastructure investment package, cost savings of $90 million and a new Climate Action Targeted Rate for the 2022/23 financial year.
As far as investment back into our Orakei Ward goes, there are two workstreams
1. that which is regionally funded (decided by the mayor and councillors) and
2.that which is funded within the Orakei Local Board funding envelope and the Waitemata Local Board envelope.
I’m going to focus on the regional funding (because that’s what I’m mainly responsible for )
There are a number of regionally funded projects included in the proposed budget for the Orakei Ward, some of which have long been advocated for. The list includes, but is not limited to the following;
In the parks space, Colin Maiden Park is planned to receive a $2 million dollar upgrade, including lighting for five fields, upgrades to three fields and the development of two sand carpeted fields. There is also planned investment for Churchill Park and Crossfield Reserve. The Tupuna Maunga Authority Draft Plan for 2022/23 - 2024/25 is also open for consultation until 28 March. This budget includes some further investment on Ohinerau/Mt Hobson by the Tupuna Maunga Authority for next year. There is scoping for a new track around the peripheral of the maunga assisting with community recreational benefit. Following a $3million grant from the Department of Conservation there will be increased staff to assist with an increased weed and pest control programme. Interestingly there have been no rabbits sighted on Ohinerau/Mt Hobson since August last year. We are all hopeful we may be rabbit free. The ‘house’ at the top of Mt Hobson Lane will also be scoped up for an upgrade and the WW2 Daffodil memorial will be maintained as part of their regular work programme. It needs to be noted that the work programme has NO planned removal of exotic trees on Ohinerau/Mt Hobson. In fact, the only trees removed have been those which have succumbed to Dutch Elm disease, keeping other trees free from that disease is a key regional objective. In the past though, trees have also been removed due to health and safety issues including a large pine next to the track in 2019.
Included in next years proposed budget are seismic upgrades for our local heritage classified libraries. Work starts at St Heliers library in June continuing through to the next financial year and the Remuera library upgrades which will follow this, are currently in the design phase.
The Auckland Domain is also getting significant investment, including the final stage of the Wintergardens renewals, and an upgrade of the Mirror Pond. Design work will also commence for the renewal of the heritage grandstand building.
From an environmental perspective, funding has been allocated for investment in Tahuna Torea, as well as the Waiatarua Wetland. Included in the draft budget is also investment to further expand and deliver environmental programmes at our much-loved Pourewa Valley. The Natural Environment Targeted Rate funding will go towards pest control programmes in our area and Kauri dieback prevention work in the likes of Dingle Dell, as well as grants for local environmental groups to assist them with the wonderful work they do supporting our ward.
Improving our water quality remains a key focus area. The draft budget plans to continue delivering the Eastern Isthmus programme, a joint initiative between Auckland Council and Watercare that is dramatically reducing wastewater overflows to beaches and streams from Parnell to the Tamaki River. The Lower Khyber Separation Project will provide the key connection point for new separate stormwater networks to be built in this area that currently has only combined stormwater and wastewater networks. There are also plans to continue to invest in the Central Interceptor, which will take pressure off our Orakei wastewater line and significantly increase our local capacity and increase resilience of central Auckland’s storm and wastewater networks so that wastewater overflows are much less frequent.
On transport, detailed design work to raise Portland Road from Ingram Road to Shore Road and stop long term flooding there is currently underway. The draft plan looks to have capacity to move this into construction and delivery in the 22/23 year. Tamaki Drive’s footpath next to the recently sea-side completed separated cycle lane is planned to be resealed from Solent Street to Ngapipi, and the heritage railing along Tamaki Drive repaired (currently you can see the orange temporary barriers where connections have corroded away) . Significant safety improvements in the Mission Bay Town Centre, including new speed tables, intersection upgrades, and footpath and cycle lane upgrades are in the draft budget too. This work is supported by the Mission Bay/Kohimarama Residents Association, and the Orakei Local Board.
With the John Rymer link to the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive shared path section two almost completed, the draft annual plan then looks to the other side and sees the Gowing Drive link to the shared path included, as part of the Meadowbank-Kohimarama connectivity project, and the widening of Ngapipi Bridge. The final Stage 4 section of the Shared path from Orakei bay Village to Tamaki Drive is currently awaiting resource consent and when that has been granted will commence construction.
Over and above this regional investment, there are also a number of projects directly funded by both local boards ( hopefully you get their newsletters too)
The way we collect our rubbish is a key question for this budget but one that doesn’t see much change for us, as our area will continue to receive rates funded rubbish collection once a week and recycling once a fortnight, albeit with a small cost increase. There will also be the option for ratepayers to opt for a larger or smaller bin if required.
So, what is Auckland Council doing about saving money? From amalgamation, Council has saved over $2 billion, with over $300 million annual savings locked in. Despite some serious Covid impacts on our income, we still saved in excess of $120 million last year and are over 70% on our way to saving $90 million this year. This budget proposes maintaining the $90 million savings target.
What are the rates increases planned? The draft plan has average general rates increase of 3.5% and maintaining the existing targeted rates for water quality and natural environment investment.
On top of that, the mayor has proposed a new Climate Action Targeted Rate. This is ring-fenced funding to address climate issues and reduce carbon emissions faster than the work we are doing in this space from the general rate. Our area is already reasonably well served by public transport, but other areas aren’t so lucky. This rate would go towards improving public transport, replacing ageing diesel ferries (which contribute to 21% of public transport emissions), ten new frequent bus routes (one of which is in our area) , 79 additional electric or hydrogen buses, new cycle lanes along with 15,000 native tree planting in streets, parks, playgrounds. I am also exploring the opportunity to see if this funding could contribute to Kohimarama Forrest purchase. The annual cost of this rate would be $58 for the year for the median urban residential property.
If you agreed to everything in the draft budget (including the new climate change targeted rate) what would it cost? If you live in the Orakei Local Board area, on average, in total, your residential rates would go up by $237 on this year. Interestingly, just under nine thousand residential ratepayers would have their rates go down, and a further seven thousand plus residential ratepayers would have an annual increase less than the regional average increase of $187. That said, over eight thousand households would have their rates go up between $187 and $500 and just over six thousand by more than $500.
Overall Orakei local board residential ratepayers would get the 3rd lowest percentage rates rise in the region
If you live in the Waitemata Local Board area, on average, in total, your residential rates would go up by $47.
But 27,044 of residential ratepayers in the WLB would see their rates go down on this year. 6,873 would go up less than the regional increase of $187 and 10,047 above that.
Overall Waitemata local board residential ratepayers would get the 2nd lowest percentage residential rates rises in the region
So how do you have your say? . You can read through the consultation material and make a submission online on the AK Have Your Say website.
Once you submit what happens next? Once the budget submission process has closed and responses have been collated, the local boards will discuss and form a view which they will officially resolve upon and then feed back to the mayor and councillors who will then vote and the budget and rates will be set for the year beginning 1 July, 2022. Until that time, I keep an open mind, so please HAVE YOUR SAY.