Will new minister hear Auckland’s voice?
A new Minister for Auckland has been appointed. But Parnell Business Association general manager Cheryl Adamson asks, will he bring the change we need?
OPINION: Will our Minister for Auckland bring the change we need?
Hon Michael Wood took a walk-through Parnell to chat to some of the businesses most affected by the Auckland floods. It was a reassuring visit to our retailers, who had the opportunity to explain their frustrations and uncertainty for times ahead, as well as express their need for support from both council and government agencies alike.
As we now have a Minister for Auckland, can we dare to hope that there will be some genuine interest in the plight of business, compared to the radio silence we have had from Wellington over the past few years? And what are our expectations of highlighting the ‘voice’ of Auckland to government?
Auckland business has borne the brunt of the past few years, from Covid to surging crime rates, and now the most recent devastation brought about by the floods.
The range and concentrated locality of several different types of supported accommodation we have seen since late 2019 continues to be our most enduring challenge regarding crime in Parnell, and during 2021 and 2022, we had our fair share of ram raids.
For several years we have called for a holistic approach across government agencies for mental health and addiction services, together with better management of transitional housing so people are placed in environments that can provide the support they need. Police resources were severely curtailed during Covid with MIQ and border duties which allowed crime to fester and grow.
While we have had sporadic interaction with several politicians on specific crime issues, to date, (despite collaboration with several other business associations) there has been virtually no steps towards an integrated solution.
Letters to the Minister of Police and open letters in media to our previous Prime Minister still left Wellington disengaged.
When Auckland endured 107 days of lockdown in late 2021, our previous Prime Minister never even visited. The successive lockdowns combined with the challenges of then coping with vaccine status to assure patronage, certainly tested every business to the max.
Some stores had shut their business six times in 2020-2021, and while 2022 saw Auckland businesses push really hard to pull through, our recovery is lagging behind other cities in New Zealand as well as across the ditch.
Will a Minister for Auckland assist? Minister Wood said that as Minister for Auckland he intends to work alongside local government in a co-ordinating role. Parnell could really do with a focused interest on the coordination of national and local government.
In addition to ongoing crime and lack of council and infrastructure investment, we have a less than adequate Waka
Kotahi asset running right through the suburb. The last few weeks navigating the various parties to clean the drains and manage traffic from POAL during an extreme weather event, have certainly demonstrated the need to streamline the silos that exist.
Wayne Brown recently complimented the government for assisting with the emergency response, Chris Hipkins visited Auckland straight after the flooding on January 27, and we now have a Minster for Auckland. These are good signs, however it remains to be seen if this will translate into something actionable and meaningful for our business community.