Phil Goff proposes 'one-off' 5 percent rates increase after 'unprecedented' $1b loss
Releasing the mayoral proposal for Auckland's 10-year budget, Goff says "we need to take more urgent action now". "This recovery budget aims to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the massive financial impact it has had on the city, while ensuring that the burden on ratepayers is kept as low and fair as possible," Goff says.
"This not a slash-and-burn budget but it's also not the budget we had hoped to put out at the start of the year. We have to accept that COVID has changed our financial landscape and change our plans accordingly."
The budget responds to the COVID-19 loss by:
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***Locking in savings of at least $90 million each year for the next three years
***Selling surplus properties to invest in critical infrastructure
***Temporarily increasing borrowing for three years by lifting the debt-to-revenue ratio to up to 290 percent, then returning to the current level
***Increasing rates by 5 percent by one year before returning to 3.5 percent the following year
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Goff warns without taking these measures "our city will go backwards". "We don't want a city full of potholes and unkept parks, so we need to take more urgent action now," he says. "While not all Aucklanders will be thrilled with a one-off rates bump of $36, it is a one-off measure that amounts to less than 70 cents a week for the average property. "Now is not the time to cut back on fixing our city's infrastructure. We have been catching up on decades of underinvestment through our previous 10-year budget and were making significant progress on our infrastructure deficit. We cannot allow that momentum to be wasted."
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Poll: Does the building consent process need to change?
We definitely need homes that are fit to live in but there are often frustrations when it comes to getting consent to modify your own home.
Do you think changes need made to the current process for building consent? Share your thoughts below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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91.4% Yes
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8.2% No
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0.4% Other - I'll share below!
Lest we forget...
On this ANZAC Day, let's take a moment to remember and honor the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.
Tell us who are you honouring today. Whether it's a story from the battlefield or a memory of a family member who fought in the war, we'd love you to share your stories below.
welcome (& help) new neighbour
kia ora lovely neighbours
as some of you know, I love the marketplace on here - (you know people are LOCAL, easy to collect) - and meet such lovely neighbours in the process.
I did not click on the 'ad' for "free house hold stuff" - as I though were GIVING away stuff - and little I need right now.
oh when I did - a very easy mistake to make - ASKING for - not giving away
Amanda & her 2 sons (12 & 16) have just moved here, out west, from Wellington - and looking for a helping hand
so generous neighbours - is there anything surplus to your requirement that you can help Amanda with?
"Hi me an my two sons have just relocated to Glen Eden from Wellington an are looking for few things for our house kitchen table an chairs pots an pans an draws cabinets etc thank you"
"16 and 12 and we are needing dinning table and chairs vacuum kitchen stuff and draws for boys rooms"
I think I have a spare large frying pan - but can't help with the rest....
if you can't help, all good - just if you don't ask, you don't get - (so see Amanda's ad - in Marketplace - under "free house hold stuff" - for her contact info)
peace & love - arohanui
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