Sir John Key, Helen Clark, Wayne Brown and Simeon Brown to debate the future of Auckland
'Auckland has been incremental in what it has achieved since becoming a Super City 15 years ago,' he said. 'Being incremental isn't going to achieve what the city needs.'
Only half of us think becoming a Super City in 2010 has helped the city advance its case to central Government, only a third of us think Auckland Council is 'providing more strategic and region-wide responses to problems', and one in five believe being a Super City has improved public engagement with decision-making.
Cultural identity 'remains a sharp point of division', says the report. While 70% of us 'strongly support celebrating Auckland's Māori and Pacific heritage and investing in cultural diversity and the arts', another 30% 'expressed caution or scepticism about prioritising further cultural investment'.
The report comes 15 years after eight 'legacy' councils in the Auckland region were combined into one Auckland Council, and the Super City was born.
It was commissioned by the Committee for Auckland, a research and advocacy group with members in the public and private sectors. The work was carried out by the University of Auckland 's Complex Conversations Lab, using an opt-in online survey platform that allows participants to talk to each other in order to create an in-depth analysis of views.
'Auckland@15: Shaping the next fifteen years' was due to be launched at a breakfast event this morning. The feature of the event will be a panel discussion involving four prominent Aucklanders: former Prime Ministers Sir John Key and Helen Clark, Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.
They will be asked to assess the 'tangible progress' made by the Super City since 2010 and provide political, historical and strategic insights from their own experience.
Other panels will involve Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei 's Ngarimu Blair, the Auckland Business Chamber's Simon Bridges, environmental entrepreneur Izzy Fenwick, AUT vice-chancellor Damon Salesa and Lisa Hind from property developer Precinct, among others.
Committee for Auckland director Mark Thomas said it's time for a reset.
'We must learn more effectively from the best globally and have the courage to back bold, transformative ideas locally or risk continuing to lose the economic opportunity, talent, and quality of life we need to thrive.'
Thomas said Auckland is being overtaken by faster-moving global competitor cities. 'Without much clearer commitment from central and local government and their partners, Auckland's standard of living and growth prospects will continue to suffer,' he said.
Horne said: 'If Auckland isn't competing globally, New Zealand will suffer. Now is the time for the city to look outward, focusing on connections and innovation, instead of looking in the mirror and rehashing its challenges.'
AUT's Salesa said that over the next 15 years, 'our city will be home to the greatest number of international students, Māori and Pacific young people and indeed of all youth. They have enormous potential and deserve a city that provides education, infrastructure, and employment opportunities.'
On the environment, 'up to 95%' of those surveyed want stronger protections such as improved water quality and more street trees. Support for housing intensification was tempered: it had to come with more green spaces and better public transport.
As for transport, 61% of survey respondents said reducing congestion should be Auckland's top transport priority, 'even if it means introducing charges on some roads at times when they are most congested'. This is known as 'time of use' or congestion charging.
But while 56% thought more should be spent on cycleways and walkways, the survey results released to date do not reveal what respondents thought about other options for relieving congestion.
And in news that will cheer Auckland Transport, 60% said it is 'easier to get around Auckland on public transport than it used to be'.
Simon Wilson is a senior writer covering politics, the climate crisis, transport, housing, urban design and social issues, with a focus on Auckland. He joined the Herald in 2018.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Auckland housing supply improves, 100,000 homes built in seven years
His report comes as the Government directs the council to allow buildings of at least 15 storeys near train stations close to the City Rail Link, and a wider intensification blueprint is being drawn up by the council. Blick said the median price for a house in Auckland was now about $1 million, or 7.5 times the median household income. In 2000, houses cost about five times the median household income. 'If we still had a multiple of five, the median house price would be $680,000, not $1m,' Blick said. New townhouses have been springing up across Auckland since the Auckland Unitary Plan came in. Photo / Michael Craig The report shows the housing boom 'hasn't happened by chance'. It was the result of more flexible planning rules in the Unitary Plan that came into effect in late 2016. What's more, Blick said, the vast majority of consented homes had been built. The practice of single homes being replaced with terraced housing or apartments on the same piece of land meant that about 89% of new homes were net additions to Auckland's housing stock. The shift towards terraced houses and apartments reflected budget constraints and people's preference for living closer to jobs, schools, public transport and other amenities. Council research into the projected supply and demand for housing over 30 years found the Unitary Plan had the capacity for 900,000 homes, of which 650,000 were commercially viable. A breakdown of the 100,000 new homes built over seven years showed numbers climbed from 10,200 in 2018 to a peak of 18,100 in 2023, driven by strong demand and falling interest rates. Blick said people took on more debt, money flooded into the housing market, pushing up prices, and developers built a lot more houses. Auckland Council chief economist Gary Blick says the focus should remain on building new houses close to town centres and major transport infrastructure. By 2021, he said, inflation got away, interest rates rose steeply and dampened people's demand and ability to take on debt. Consents eased to 14,000 last year, albeit still higher than pre-Unitary Plan levels. 'We do get fluctuations across the economic cycle… new homes took off like a rocket and then they cooled down a bit,' he said. Looking ahead, Blick said the focus should remain on building new houses close to town centres and major transport infrastructure, such as the City Rail Link, but he acknowledged some people wanted to live on the city fringes. The council and the Government have agreed on a new planning blueprint for the city, allowing greater housing density near major transport routes. The council has already signed off on more density in the central city and has until October 10 to finalise a plan across the wider city. As part of the negotiations, Housing Minister Chris Bishop has allowed the council to opt out of the previous Government's directive allowing three dwellings of up to three storeys on most sites in Auckland. Your first home should not be your dream home Natasha Thirani is close to buying her first home. Photo / Jason Dorday Natasha Thirani and her husband Vivek, both 32, are close to buying their first home. Mt Eden, where they rent an apartment, is a dream location, but it is too expensive for their budget of $850,000 for a townhouse with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage and a bit of outdoor space. They have been looking at properties at The Glade, a masterplanned community in Mt Wellington, but it's a little beyond their budget and has the added cost of body corporate fees. Natasha felt it was the best time to get into the housing market, with interest rates falling from 7% to about 4% and plenty of houses to choose from. However, the experience could be nerve-racking and there were many pros and cons, she said. Her advice for other first-time buyers was not to max out their home loan. 'If you're looking to buy your first car, you don't go for a Ferrari or a Porsche. It's the same when you are buying your first home. It is important you buy it as a first home and not a dream home,' she said. Asked if the Unitary Plan was doing a good job and about the Government's directive for greater intensification, Mayor Wayne Brown said the city's population was set to grow by more than 250,000 over the next decade, more than the population of Wellington City. 'I've heard from a heap of developers who're up for this growth and are prepared to deliver it. They've told us they're on board to provide it in the right places. 'We don't want growth just anywhere, but we certainly still need more of it. It will be focused where we have invested the most because that's what makes sense,' the mayor said. Blick said there were trade-offs with the Government's directive for greater housing density, saying change could be difficult at times, but the city must be mindful of housing becoming less affordable over time, especially for younger people. There is a shift towards townhouses and apartments, and living close to transport and other amenities, says Gary Blick. Auckland's long-running housing crisis appears to have turned a corner on the supply side with the city's largest real estate company, Barfoot & Thompson, reporting a glut of 6083 unsold homes at the end of May this year, nearly double the figure of 3013 in May 2016. Managing director Peter Thompson said in April this year: 'Buyer choice remains at an all-time high… through a combination of new builds reaching the market and existing properties.' A survey of real estate agents by economist Tony Alexander this year found that FOMO (fear of missing out) has been replaced with FOOP (fear of overpaying), and that buyers were conscious of house prices falling after they purchased. Derek Handley is the founder of Aera, a company specialising in helping first-home buyers from start to finish, including financial advice, mortgage brokerage and finding a newly built home. He said right now, there was a lot of housing available in Auckland, and he could take a young couple and show them five houses across five neighbourhoods in an afternoon. Auckland did not have a housing crisis, said Handley, it had a mindset crisis where people thought they couldn't afford a home. He said a couple, aged about 30, could combine their KiwiSaver balances for a deposit on a new townhouse, costing between $600,000 and $650,000. 'It's a hell of a lot more achievable than what people have been telling themselves over the last X number of years, and it may have something to do with there are so many more brand new homes available,' Handley said. Auckland councillor Richard Hills says many people, especially younger people, find themselves locked out of buying a house. Photo / Dean Purcell Councillor Richard Hills, who chairs the policy and planning committee, said it was great to see progress on the housing front over the past eight years, with many new homes closer to transport and jobs, and options for people at different stages of their lives. Hills said this did not mean all the housing issues were fixed. There was an increase in homelessness across the city, rents were still too expensive for some, and many people, especially younger people, were finding themselves locked out of the dream of purchasing a home as the median house price was about 7.5 times the median household income, far more than 20 or 30 years ago. Hills said data showed Auckland needed at least 300,000 homes for future residents over the next 30 years, and the sensible place was close to transport corridors and hubs such as rail stations. 'Aucklanders have invested in projects like the City Rail Link, so it makes sense for more people to have good access to it,' Hills said. The final word goes to Blick: 'Auckland's housing story isn't perfect, but it is a tale of improvement.' Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Macron suggests new options for New Caledonia's future status
Demonstration in support New Caledonia against the unfreezing of the electoral body, Place de la Republique, in Paris. 25 May 2024. Photo: AFP / Fiora Garenzi / Hans Lucas French President Emmanuel Macron's has unveiled a range of options regarding New Caledonia's future political status at a "New Caledonia summit" in Paris this week. Speaking at the opening session of an open-ended forum dedicated to the French Pacific territory - but behind closed doors - Macron was reported as mentioning, as part of a range of possible options, an "associated State" status for New Caledonia, with a "strong link with France". Other options mentioned by the French Head of State include a status quo or a "large autonomy". However, all options would be tied to a necessary "reconstruction" and refoundation" period of "15 to 20 years" in order to rebuild New Caledonia's economic and social fabric that has been severely damaged following riots that took place in May 2024. The riots resulted in 14 deaths and over €2 billion in material damage, triggering a downfall of an estimated 15 to 20 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and leaving thousands of people unemployed. During the transition period, New Caledonia would be ruled by a specific "fundamental law", a de facto constitution enshrined in the French Constitution that would replace the 1998 Nouméa Accord. At the end of the transition period, a referendum would be held to endorse a "project" for New Caledonia's socio-economic model. France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, France's Minister of Overseas Manuel Valls, France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, President of the French National Assembly Yael Braun-Pivet, Secretary General of the French Presidency Emmanuel Moulin, first vice-president of the customary senate of New Caledonia Ludovic Boula, representative of the second vice-president of the customary senate Victor Gogny, and President of the customary senate Aguetil Mahe Gowe attend a custom ceremony as the inauguration of a summit on New Caledonia at the Elysee Palace in Paris on 2 July 2025. Photo: AFP / Ludovic Marin The presidential statements have triggered several reactions from all sides of New Caledonia's political chessboard. On the pro-France side of parties that want New Caledonia to remain part of France, New Caledonia's Southern Province President Sonia Backès said she favoured the notion of a 15 to 20 years transitional period, but remained "totally opposed" to the notion of an associated State. On the pro-independence side, the mention of an Associated State prompted positive, albeit cautious reactions from the main independence movement, the FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front). Its chief negotiator, Emmanuel Tjibaou, during a press conference held on the margins of the summit on Thursday, told media Macron's initial speech was "interesting", especially the fact that the word "associated State" was uttered. "We're interested in this. It commits us to a trajectory". Tjibaou however said their camp required that all this be "put to paper, in writing". "We remain vigilant, we need concrete and written elements (from France)", he said. "We discuss and then we go back to our base to validate the process (...) That's how we operate". President of the French National Assembly Yael Braun-Pivet (L), France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, France's President Emmanuel Macron, France's Minister of Overseas Manuel Valls and President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher attend a session of a summit on New Caledonia at the Elysee Palace in Paris on 2 July 2025. Photo: AFP / Ludovic / Marin But other FLNKS representatives remain doubtful that any sort of agreement would be inked, at least not this time, "even if we stay one week, two weeks, one month", said delegation member Mickaël Forrest during the same media conference. The conference was also attended by FLNKS president Christian Téin, who attempted to join the "summit" on Wednesday but was denied access because he was not on the list of invited guests. "(Macron) holds the keys to his house. I accept that", Téin said, adding he fully trusted the FLNKS delegation. Téin was released from a jail in Mulhouse (North-East of France), where he spent one year, after he was arrested. Under lighter judicial control conditions, he is now awaiting trial for criminal-related charges, but is not to interfere with persons related to his case and is still not allowed to return to New Caledonia. Talks are still underway among delegations of political representatives, all gathered behind closed doors in a hotel in the city of Bougival (West of Paris). There is no specified duration for the series of political meetings, which could last "as long as necessary". New Caledonia's FLNKS chief negotiator Emmanuel Tjibaou (L) and FLNKS President Christian Téin at a media conference on 3 July 2025. Photo: Supplied / Outremer la 1ère In parallel to the political talks this week in Paris, another conference is also dedicated to New Caledonia's necessary economic reform, including the crucial nickel mining industry, which is also facing a near-collapse situation. The so-called "Economic and Social College" started on Thursday, at the French Ministry for Overseas and is expected to last until Friday. There are four themes organised into roundtables and workshops: the reform of New Caledonia's economic and social fabric, including taxes, the nickel industry, the economy's diversification and its relations to Pacific neighbours. The guest, State Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls, is flanked by Minister for public accounts Amélie de Montchalin. She stressed the interdependence between economy and politics. "While economy is essential to (New Caledonia's) success, a political agreement is also essential to the economy's rebound", she said. Business leaders in the French Pacific territory have consistently stressed the need for "visibility", security and stability if New Caledonia was to remain attractive to existing and potential investors. The meeting also involves politicians as well as Mayors of New Caledonia and socio-economic and civil society stakeholders. Business leaders association MEDEF-NC leader Mimsy Daly hailed the approach, but said now was the time to "take into account New Caledonians' suffering on a daily basis." "We hope something positive will come out of this quickly."
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Fiji's ex commissioner 'universally corrupt'
The head of Fiji's damning commission of inquiry admits to publically calling the anti-corruption agency commissioner "universally corrupt" while investigating her appointment.
