Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has addressed elected Local Board and council members at today’s Auckland Council symposium - outlining what he expects of them.
Rates were a hot topic in his speech to elected members, with Brown saying "right now, your support is needed to achieve greater value for money, to keep rates low".
“With nearly 50% of mortgage holders across the country soon to come off fixed mortgages and move to interest rates starting with a two to ones starting with a seven, Aucklanders don’t need council rates increases to add to the agony.
“We must do whatever we can to avoid or at least minimise those rates increases, to reduce the pressure on young and lower-income home owners, who can least afford it,” he said.
My mantra is “less is more,” Brown said.
His comments come amid rising inflation and rising mortgage rates affecting the cost of living for Kiwis.
Stats NZ said last week that inflation is at 7.2%, defying predictions it could have dropped to around 6.5%, and the major banks are increasing mortgage rates.
Brown and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern are at loggerheads over the Government’s Three Waters proposal along with the rates rises Ardern says will happen if it doesn’t go ahead.
The pair met for the first time last week. Ardern said at a press conference afterwards that the mayor’s speculation about Three Waters not going ahead will mean a possibility of rates increasing by at least 7%, with modelling suggesting double that in the future.
Brown said he and Ardern agreed on most issues and came to a consensus that they both "share a goal of making life better for Aucklanders".
Three Waters is where that consensus ended, he said.
His concerns were with the practicality of the central government's proposal.
"I have owned water companies and so I just come in with a practical point of view.
"I'm not so fussed on the co-governance issues."
He soundly rejected Ardern's claim that rates in Auckland would go up if Three Waters didn't go ahead.
"That's her view, I think she's wrong. We'll agree to see differently on that one."
Brown told elected members that Aucklanders “expect a team” to go out to bat for the city.
“For Auckland of all 179 of us – the mayor and governing body, the 21 local boards and the Independent Māori Statutory Board.
“Some of you have been elected on teams associated with parliamentary parties, but there is no place for party politics here.
“My vision is to achieve much better value for money – especially in central administration and getting a true economic return from our assets, including the port land – without any cuts to the services Aucklanders value and need,” Brown said.
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