Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown outlines goals before Christmas break, focusing on Auckland Transport and tech
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has a list he wants to tick off before Christmas, including getting back on the tennis court after hurting an ankle.
“That’s really important to me,” said the mayor, who was back sweeping up the crumbs yesterday at the West End Tennis Club, where he plays tennis and where he hosted a party to celebrate a second term.
Speaking to the Herald from his office at council headquarters yesterday, Brown reflected on the new makeup of the council, which includes five fresh faces, laid out his priorities in the run-up to Christmas, and sketched where he wants to take the city before stepping down in 2028.
On Saturday, the often blunt and combative engineer stormed home to win a second term, comfortably beating his main challenger, Kerrin Leoni, by about 90,000 votes.
Brown said that apart from Victoria Short, who stood on his Fix Auckland ticket, and John Gillon (North Shore), he barely knew the three other new faces, Matt Winiata (Manurewa-Papakura), Bo Burns (Howick), and Sarah Paterson-Hamlin (Whau).
He plans to meet each one of them over the coming days and thinks the new council is a “little bit better” than last term.
By this, he meant he was pleased to see Short unseat one of the long-standing “Albanians”, Wayne Walker, and welcomed the defeat of two-time mayoral candidate and “keyboard warrior” Craig Lord, who lost to Paterson-Hamlin in Whau. As for Gillon, he said he plans to work with him, despite finding him “a bit negative”.
“The public voted for me because, unlike governments, they know where they are going,” Brown said.
There would not be any surprises, said Brown, whose focus over the coming months would be on trying to understand what Auckland Transport actually does, “so I can fix it”.
“It’s like a black box. Answers come out of AT all wrong, and no one in there can tell me how they got to those answers. I will continue asking questions and getting stupid answers until I get good answers.”
Another early focus for Brown is pressing ahead with the Tech Alliance, bringing together the public and private sectors to attract capital and boost productivity, which Brown said could bypass lengthy council delays.
“I want to plan for really good offshore trips next year, so the tier two and three firms of Auckland can really benefit. You have to give them a bit of time to prepare. You can’t just say we’re going to China next month.
“The Government tends to do things like that. We will all rush off, and it’s all about the Prime Minister. This isn’t all about me when we go over there. It’s about Auckland businesses making use of me,” he said.
There’s also what Brown called a coronation later this month, when councillors get sworn in at the Auckland Town Hall, and the “bollocks of setting up committees”, giving little away on that front other than “Richard Hills will still run planning because he does such a good job”.
Brown also plans to hand over plans for a bed levy to fund events to the Deputy Mayor, Desley Simpson, who, he said, is keen to take it up and has close connections to the National-led Government.
Asked what he hoped to achieve by the end of his second term, Brown said his priorities included embedding a businesslike approach to council spending, fostering a culture of efficient service, and encouraging Aucklanders to focus more on the city’s future rather than daily frustrations with Auckland Transport.
“And we will be more of an international trading city than we are.
“I know the council will go on forever and there will be more mayors and more councillors, but this is a three-year project. This is my project.”
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Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
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Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.8% Yes
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33.5% Maybe?
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24.7% No
Tips and advice to stay street smart this summer
Summer is finally here!
Time for BBQs, holidays, Christmas, travelling and events galore.
We've put together a whole range of tips and advice so you can put your feet up and relax this summer, knowing that it's all good in your hood.
Our first piece of advice to make your neighbourhood safer this summer, is to get to know the people who live around you! People who know each other are more likely to offer, accept, and ask for help when needed.
Shop Safe - Preventing Fraud & Scams
You might find yourself making more purchases than usual at this time of year, and many of those might be online, so here's a set of tips and advice to make sure you stay safe and secure whilst doing your Christmas shopping this year. And remember to think about the security of your online shopping when it gets delivered!
Heading away this summer?
It's a busy time of year on new Zealand roads and everyone wants to get from A to B safely. It's also important that your home stays safe while you're away enjoying your 'home away from home'. We have put together a set of tips and advice to help make that happen!
Keeping your car, home and belongings safe
From recording valuable possessions to securing locks, keeping valuables hidden and informing trusted neighbours that you will be away, there are many things you can do to keep your car, home, and belongings safe. Here's a bunch of handy tips!
Party planning checklist and fire-wise tips
Whether it’s a small backyard gathering, or a big celebration for a special occasion, a little extra planning and consideration will go a long way in keeping you, your guests, and your neighbours happy. We also have some tips to make sure you and your families stay fire-wise during summer.
Get to know your neighbours - look out, reach out, help out
The most important action you can take to make your community safer is get to know the people who live around you. People who know each other are more likely to offer, accept, and ask for help when needed.
It is also important to know who to contact in an emergency and when to use the non-emergency contact for NZ Police. Learn more about Neighbourhood Support, get tips on getting to know your neighbours and the best way to contact the police below.
Strong communities start with small hellos
In terms of crime prevention, your neighbours are the best and cheapest security system you can have. You don't have to love your neighbour, but at least get their number just in case!
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Have a happy, safe and connected summer!
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