Second-highest public feedback numbers to council annual plan

The council’s budget committee chair, Rodney councillor Greg Sayers, says: “It’s positive to see Aucklanders taking the time to read our plans and give feedback on the aspects that are important to them. We had 13,000 pieces of feedback, which is our second highest for an annual plan and the highest ever for the first year after a long-term plan.” Photo supplied Unsplash.

com Samuel FerraraAuckland Council says ratepayers and residents have had their say on the city’s proposed 2025/2026 annual plan, with more than 13,000 pieces of feedback received during the recent consultation, from individual Aucklanders, groups and organisations.It says: “This continues a trend of increased engagement with Auckland Council plans in recent years, with the latest feedback coming from a wide range of Aucklanders by age, ethnic group and parts of the region.”The council says the draft plan focuses on delivering the second year of the long-term plan (LTP) 2024-2034 and included an opportunity to consider the funding of events and destination marketing, and the priorities of local boards.



“The feedback shows support for the overall plan, including the bed night visitor levy concept and extending the refuse targeted rate to Franklin and Rodney areas.“Feedback on each local board’s priorities will also be shared with those boards,” the council says.Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said submissions showed a majority support for the overall direction of the council’s annual plan.

“This tells me that we’re on track with delivering what we said we would in the LTP.“We’re investing in every area we said we would while keeping rates as low as possible. In fact, the lowest for any metropolitan city in New Zealand.

”Community feedbackThe council says, overall, the annual plan 2025-2026 consultation showed – of those individuals who addressed the plan overall – that 27 per cent support all of the proposed plan; 45 per cent support most of the plan; 15 per cent did not support most of it; 7 per cent do not support any of the plan, and 6 per cent don’t know.A possible bed night visitor levy to help fund destination marketing and events was supported by 60 per cent of individuals who responded on the issue; 27 per cent did not support it; and 13 per cent submitted ‘other’ or ‘don’t know’.The majority of organisations and Māori which responded on the bed night visitor levy also supported it.

The council’s budget committee chair, Rodney councillor Greg Sayers, says: “It’s positive to see Aucklanders taking the time to read our plans and give feedback on the aspects that are important to them.“That can now be included in the decision-making process.“The feedback is a good representation of our communities – participation was spread across our local board areas and demographics, such as age and ethnicity.

“While the annual plan 2025/2026 is all about delivering on the second year of our long-term plan, with no significant changes to investment or services, we wanted to check in with all Aucklanders to ensure the plan and priorities are on the right track,” Sayers says.“We had 13,000 pieces of feedback, which is our second highest for an annual plan and the highest ever for the first year after a long-term plan.”Other topics raisedThe council says many Aucklanders also took the opportunity to provide general feedback on other issues on their minds.

Extending the refuse targeted rate to Franklin and Rodney saw 57 per cent of individuals who responded on this issue supporting it; 21 per cent not in support; and 22 per cent submitting ‘other’ or ‘don’t know’. The rate funds waste collection in most local boards.Many individual submitters in support of the overall plan offered additional feedback.

Of those, 24 per cent provided a comment citing the need for improved public transport and its funding; 19 per cent shared concerns on rates increases; and another 19 per cent highlighted the need to invest in core infrastructure.Organisations emphasised fairer community funding, including support for the fairer funding model for local boards and concerns about its redistributive effects, investment in infrastructure, and suggested greater community involvement in planning for the annual plan.What’s in the proposed annual plan?The plan sets out the council’s proposed services and investments for the 2025/2026 year and how it intends to pay for them, including a 5.

8 per cent rates increase for the average value residential property, which is in line with the long-term plan.Feedback was also sought on major events and destination marketing for the region. To help cover a shortfall in funding that was outlined in the long-term plan, the council has been seeking a bed night visitor levy.

The council believes it would meet the shortfall and fund even more destination management, marketing and major events activities in Auckland.A “fairer funding approach” will begin to be phased in for the annual plan 2025/2026 to enable local boards to better respond to their communities, by addressing funding imbalances between the 21 local boards.Each local board’s priorities for the year were included in the consultation document.

The council’s budget committee and governing body will consider the annual plan in May and June, with it to be implemented for the financial year beginning July 1.Information on the Auckland Council’s annual plan 2025/2026 is at akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan.

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