Let’s make Auckland Community Voices Count – Now is the Time!

SHORT NOTICE Collective Response to Auckland Council Budget 2023-24.

“The most important budget in years”[1] is open for submissions.

Mayor Brown’s Auckland Council 2023-24 Annual Budget proposes far reaching cuts, reductions in services and increases in fees and rates as Council aims to navigate a $295 million deficit - and this is before costs associated with the Anniversary Weekend flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle are taken into account.

Much of this will adversely affect communities, groups, organisations and service providers – halving Local Board spending; cancelling many regional events, economic development and social services; reducing bus services AND increasing the cost of public transport; cutting funding to community, arts, education and cultural activities.

As many of us know, Council investment in communities and community infrastructure is essential for our City’s resilience and our ability to live good lives. Council’s investment also contributes to the achievement of more equitable outcomes for diverse parts of our community and leverages other investment, from central government, philanthropy and businesses.

Investment in community infrastructure needs to continue to be part of Council’s business as usual - especially now!

Council is calling for submissions that offer suggestions that are “credible, affordable, sustainable and implementable” for reducing the deficit. Doing this requires a lot of reading and hard thinking so, rather than do it alone, let’s join up and do it together.

Join us to find out more about the situation and to workshop the most important things to focus on together so we can both reduce the deficit and invest in a community-focused city.

We know that the submissions that get the most traction are those that speak to common themes. If many of us submit on the same things in our own words, these are the things that Councillors will debate and base their decisions on.

To support us all to know these themes in advance, Inspiring Communities and our community allies will collate the common elements from conversations at all regional hui and circulate those to all who register. We will also draft some summary recommendations that you may wish to also include in your submissions. This information will also be posted on the Inspiring Communities website for anyone to access.

[1] Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson