As part of the Auckland Council budget consultation, the Howick Local Board hosted an online public forum. The following is a rough transcript of what I said in my 3 minutes:
Kia ora.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak, I will do my best to stay on topic and on time. Given the short window, I’ll focus on one regional and two linked local priorities.
Firstly I’m encouraged by the increased focus on climate action. As noted earlier, our goal is to reduce our emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. With less than 8 years left to deliver this massive change, we need to significantly increase action.
It’s good to see that we’re getting some improvements to the East Auckland public transport services, including more frequent services through Ormiston and Flat Bush.
The Budget proposes $144m for Cycling and $84m for walking which is great but is very light on the details of where this will happen. I understand that Auckland Transport is still finalising the plan for both active modes and I encourage the Howick Local Board to make sure that our area does not miss out on these opportunities.
Like one of the previous speakers, I have questioned the lack of carbon reduction targets or estimates - $1 Billion dollars is a lot of money to invest without knowing the impact. I’m not suggesting it’s too much, in fact I suspect it won’t be near enough to undo the damage that we continue to do to our environment. But the proposal represents a massive increase on previous funding and by ring fencing it we can have more confidence that it will deliver so I support it.
Onto the local priorities and I wanted to speak to both the greater focus on renewal and maintenance of assets and the need for the skatepark and other wheeled play at Lloyd Elsmore Park.
As some of you are aware, I’m involved with East Skate Club. While I’m not here formally speaking on their behalf, I do want to take this opportunity to endorse the need for a proper skatepark facility for our community.
I acknowledge the minor refurbishment that the HLB delivered which has improved the safety of the park. However, it’s still very small and outdated - ten kids and it’s full. It lacks basic facilities like toilets, water and shade. There is no pedestrian access, forcing kids to walk on the road which is unbelievably unsafe. In its current form it is in no way fit-for-purpose.
COVID has reminded us how important it is to have outdoor recreational options in our neighbourhoods. There are some amazing skateparks around, the success of the skatepark in Sir Barry Curtis Park is proof enough. If we create good spaces for our tamariki they will attract not just locals, but also people from all across the city. A decent skatepark will not just help locals, but also encourage people to visit East Auckland, bringing visitors and much needed revenue to our local businesses.
In order to be successful, the planning and design must include the users - skaters, kids of all ages. This will take time so the sooner we start the better. Thank you for including this as a priority.
Thank you.
I’m still working through the formal consultation process and will post a copy of my submission in the next few days.
The budget consultation will close at 5pm on Monday 28 March 2022. Details on the proposal and ways to have your say can be found at akhaveyoursay.nz/budget