Viewpoint – Budgeting for resilience

I would like to begin by reassuring local residents that Auckland’s more rural areas have not been forgotten, especially those communities that are still responding to the devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle and recent weather events. 

During my visits to flood-damaged areas including Dairy Flat, Riverhead, Puhoi, Wellsford, and Warkworth, I was impressed by the resilience and can-do attitude of local residents, and their coordinated efforts to help one another.

It gives me confidence that local boards in areas much like these can take charge in an emergency and organise a lot of things themselves, and that more responsibility and decision-making powers should sit closer to our communities.

As we make the transition from emergency response to the longer-term recovery, I have called for all local board chairs to put forward their top-five ideas for the Big Auckland Fix-Up. 

We’re looking for solutions that balance the immediate needs of local communities with the council’s need to achieve immediate cost savings. 

The $295 million budget gap bequeathed to me is far from ideal, but I’m confident that we will get through this if we are clear about what matters most to all Aucklanders, and I strongly urge you to participate in the public consultation process ‘AK Have Your Say’ that is currently underway.

Given that many homes in Auckland’s Albany and Rodney wards were without water, power, and mobile coverage following Cyclone Gabrielle, it’s clear that emergency preparedness, infrastructure, and transport are key priorities. 

Last week, the ward councillors and I instructed council staff to examine the longer-term impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle for all Aucklanders.

Auckland Council will carry out a ‘current state’ assessment to investigate the causes and impacts of recent weather events, such as flooding and landslides, and the implications for public policy and infrastructure settings. 

While a ‘future state’ assessment will identify improvements across public policy and infrastructure settings, so the entire region and our local communities are more resilient to water-related hazards.

Reading Hibiscus Matters, it is immediately apparent that road closures (Puhoi) are an ongoing source of frustration for local residents. Some of you may be aware of my criticism of Auckland Transport for being urban-focused when at least half of our region is rural.

While we can’t necessarily speed-up the repair of flood-damaged roads, which often involves coordinated efforts across multiple agencies, we can try to build back better and work better together.

I am more determined than ever to deliver on the five key policies that made Aucklanders vote me in – stop wasteful spending, take control of council organisations, fix infrastructure, get transport moving faster, and make better use of our waterfront and environment.