Deep cuts
Transport
Proposed cuts under a 3.5 per cent rates rise
To find savings from a revenue hit of $113m and a reduced capital budget of $200m to $250m, Auckland Transport plans to:
● Reduce public transport services to save $10m.
● Reduce staff and consultants costs by $20m.
● Pause or cancel any further red-light cameras in urban areas, rural road upgrades, and improvements to high risk intersections and pedestrian crossings.
● Defer work on all walking and cycling projects not under construction, including Glen Innes to T¯amaki, Pt Chevalier to Herne Bay and Great North Rd.
● Stop investment in new electric buses and charging infrastructure.
● Defer big roading projects such as Lincoln Rd, Lake Rd, Esmonde Rd, Glenvar Rd, East Coast Rd.
● Defer road maintenance and road renewals.
● Additional cuts under a 2.5 per cent rates rise Defer work on the Airport to Botany transit project.
● Remove some public transport fare concessions and hike fares for peak services.
● Start charging for some park and ride facilities.
Parks and community facilities
Proposed cuts under a 3.5 per cent rates rise
With revenue taking a $30m hit and capital spending cut in half there will be reductions to service levels and operating hours — think libraries, swimming pools and recreation centres.
● Fewer and smaller events, such as cancelling Ambury Park Farm Day, Sculpture at the Botanic Gardens and scaling back Matariki, Movies in Parks, Music in Parks, Heritage Festival and citizen ceremonies.
● Scaled back programmes in community
centres, arts facilities and libraries. Fewer arts, culture and events grants,
including reduced Q Theatre grant. Cut public art budget by 70 per cent.
● Fewer land purchases for new parks and other purposes.
● Delays in Local Boards’ No 1 projects, such as a new park on Ponsonby Rd.
● No work on new sportsfields, toilets, playgrounds, walkways, pools and community centres and parks.
● Defer most renewals for buildings, playgrounds and open space.
● Reduced investment in library collections by one third.
Additional cuts under a 2.5 per cent rates rise
● Permanent closure of some community facilities with low use.
● Reduced renewals of community assets and tracks, toilets and accommodation facilities in regional parks.
Central city and town centres
The capital budget has been cut from $250 to $190m. Proposed cuts under either scenario include:
● $20m cut to big events.
● Suspension of $100,000 heritage grant for one year.
● Defer $73m of capital investment by Panuku, including water projects and stage 4 of the O¯ t¯ahuhu Town Centre upgrade.
● Reduction of the budget for the America’s
Cup and other 2021 events by $10m to $49m.
Environment
Council expects to lose $50m of revenue from fewer resource and building consent work, and cutting the capital budget from $26m to $14m. Proposed cuts under either scenario include:
● Reducing pest eradication on Waiheke and Kawau islands and reducing kauri dieback research by $1.17m.
● Reducing the number of animal shelters from three to two, and closing the Waiheke animal shelter.
Water
Watercare expects to lose $50m from Covid-19 and water restrictions due to the drought and $20m from infrastructure growth charges because of less development. Savings include:
● Deferring $162m of capital projects.
● Most renewal work for stormwater.
● Deferring the Hurstmere Rd water quality
upgrade.
● Most small drinking-water upgrades.
● Stopping water protection fund grants of
$170,000 for rural landowners for a year.
Council itself
Proposed under a 3.5 per cent rates rise
● Chief executive Stephen Town is conducting a review of council’s operations that will lead to job losses. ● Voluntary salary reductions for six months for staff earning more than $100,000 is expected to save $3.7m.
● Mayoral budget savings of $2m.
● Interest costs due to lower interest rates saving $15.m
● Deferring property valuations saving $4.5m.
● Reduced travel, consultants, marketing and HR saving $12m.
● Additionally if there is a 2.5 per cent rates rise
● Introducing a living wage for contracted
cleaners, climate change initiatives and M¯aori projects, such as developing marae, would be delayed.