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Auckland Council has established an oversight group for the Climate Action Targeted Rate but not before being challenged by one local councillor.
Money from the Climate Action Targeted Rate (CATR) will fund improved bus services, hydrogen or electric public transport, further tree planting and improve the active network for walking and cycling.
At Council’s Governing Body meeting on July 28, Councillors voted to establish the oversight group which will provide direction and endorse projects under the CATR.
While the oversight group is intended to guide decision making and report back to the Governing Body, it has no operational powers.
Cr Wayne Walker was concerned that an oversight group was being established for the CATR but not for other targeted rates.
“This is one of a series of targeted rates. We have got a water quality targeted rate. We have got an environment targeted rate. We have got a transport targeted rate. We have even got a regional fuel tax,” Walker said. “We do not have any such group for any of these other rates many of which are for their purpose far more targeted.”
Mayor Phil Goff said that Auckland Transport (AT) would be enacting many of the changes under the CATR.
“There is a good reason to have a monitoring group because it is being largely administered through a council-controlled organisation,” Goff said.
Council’s strategy and research general manager, Jacques Victor, told the meeting that this is the first targeted rate that is largely at arms’ length from council.
“We are talking over one billion dollars here – we want to give people the comfort that the funding is used exactly as the targeted rate was struck,” Victor said.
He added the level of interest from the public alone justified the establishment of an oversight group.
Cr Richard Hills said the oversight group had been requested by local boards, members of the public and even some councillors. He said it will be able to check and challenge the way the money is spent and that making sure AT is doing what Council and the public wants from the CATR is crucial.
Following the discussion, Cr Walker joined almost all the other councillors in voting in favour of the establishment of the group. Cr Christine Fletcher abstained.
