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While Auckland Mayor Phil Goff claims Aucklanders have overwhelmingly backed a proposed Climate Action Targeted Rate (CATR), Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers says public feedback in Rodney was different.
A record number of nearly 12,000 individual pieces of feedback were received on Auckland Council’s proposed Annual Budget 2022/23, which was consulted on early this year.
In a statement, the Mayor said that more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of individuals supported the proposed targeted rate, with organisations and Māori entities also endorsing the proposal at 66 per cent and 67 per cent support respectively. Strong support was common across a range of demographics including age, local board area and ethnicity.
Cr Sayers says that in Rodney, consultation feedback showed 56 per cent of submitters were in favour of the rate, with 38 per cent opposed. The remainder were unsure or supported some other option.
“However, the independent Kanter poll found only 31 per cent of Rodney respondents supported the rate, with 43 per cent opposed,” Sayers says.
“Two very different conclusions.”
The main reasons people gave for not supporting the rate were that they felt the proposed projects should be funded through the existing budget or other revenue sources, or paying another targeted rate was unaffordable, highlighting financial hardship.
Sayers says Rodney feedback included wanting any spending of the Climate Change Targeted Rate directed to projects such as:
• Building more seawalls to combat sea level rise
• Upgrading stormwater pipes to better cope with severe weather events/storms
• Sourcing reliable freshwater supplies for households on tank water during droughts
• Fixing Hill Street to end cars idling and emitting greenhouse gases while caught in traffic jams.
The Mayor’s statement said a budget proposal to standardise waste collections was also supported by Aucklanders.
