Viewpoint – Delivering on promises

Last month, I voted against Auckland Council bailing out the City Rail Link (CRL) to the tune of $1 billion. My reasoning was simple. Central government, not Auckland ratepayers, should be paying for this project – as the Government does for every other rail project throughout New Zealand. The additional financial drain of rates into the CRL also means desperately required local projects and core Council services suffer as money gets sucked away to prop-up this project’s financial blowouts. People want their rates spent on local infrastructure needs, not on Auckland CBD projects that do little to benefit Rodney.

As well as fighting rate increases, I continue the offensive for greater financial accountability to stop Council’s wastage and overspending.

I am pleased to have achieved an election promise whereby Rodney is now getting more money spent back into it than what we are paying. This is primarily due to massive investment into the freshwater plant at Sanderson Road and the new sewage plant at Snells Beach, both of which are necessary to cope with urban population growth. Securing a quadrupling of the road sealing money is another promise delivered, however, the implementation spending was pushed out by Council. I am working hard to have this anomaly rectified. There is also an inadequate road maintenance budget for the heavy trucks and traffic volumes using our roads. I am serious about fixing this and am making an election promise to get the road maintenance budget doubled, funded from the general rates, along with having stronger workmanship quality control processes in place.

I have proudly and consistently used my vote to protect ratepayers against rate increases, the regional fuel tax, more targeted rates and the increasing cost of Council fees. Several my fellow councillors have loyally supported me, but the Mayor and the majority of the 20 Auckland councillors continue to vote these increases through.

Working collaboratively, and forming good relationships with Council staff at all levels, has been essential to achieving other wins. This includes more local contractors getting more work from Council, the Araparera forest money being secured, the bus service to Warkworth implemented from general rates, dredging of the river started, the carpark building being saved from being sold, getting the new Hill Street roundabout plans funded, the Matakana link road given the green light, as well as numerous other local community wins you may have observed or heard about.

With that said, I believe Rodney still needs a lot more spent on it due to years of under-investment. Service levels need lifting and more equitable funding for our community facilities accomplished. Throughout the year my face-to-face community clinics have proven very popular. It has been a pleasure to help people solve the diverse range of issues they have had with Council bureaucracy.

It remains critical that Council lives within its financial means and ratepayers’ interests continue to be safeguarded moving forward.

Greg Sayers, Rodney Councillor
greg.sayers@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz