Election 2023: Encouraging more people to come to our city centre
As the economic, civic and cultural heart of Auckland, it's essential that the city centre continues to recover and be known as a vibrant and safe international city.
With the election imminent, we asked party leaders for their position on supporting the city centre's ongoing recovery and growth.
NB: All of the responses below are as received.
Question One: What is your position on encouraging more people to come to our city centre – to live, work, visit, study – and how do you propose doing this?
ACT:
One of the greatest steps we can take to make Auckland city more attractive to be in is to address the issue of crime. When we speak to people in Auckland CBD about what issues matter to them violent crime and the feeling of being unsafe always comes up, and this is echoed by quantitative data as well. ACT has a comprehensive policy to reduce crime by cracking down on financial incentives for gangs, introducing instant “speeding ticket” style youth infringement notices for low level crime (supported by Retail NZ which represents many retailers in Auckland city centre), and ensuring education is part of prison plans so offenders have better chances of not reoffending upon release. More information can be found here.
ACT also recognises that Auckland city centre needs investment in infrastructure including housing, transport, and water services if more people are to move to and work in the city. ACT proposes sharing half of the GST from new build residential housing back with Auckland Council to invest in infrastructure to support a growing population and number of visitors. This will be in addition to removing barriers to growth in Auckland city and arranging 30 year city deals with the local government to accommodate for planned investment. Ultimately it should be Aucklanders and their communities who decide the future of the city centre, not dictated by Wellington.
Green Party:
The Green Party want a thriving city centre for those who live, study, work, and socialise in the city. We’ll fix transport, getting lightrail up and running quickly and affordably by going above ground from Britomart to the airport via Dominion Road, working with Council to deliver better walking and biking paths, and expanding other public transport links over time.
Chlöe Swarbrick, Green MP for Auckland Central, meets regularly with Eke Panuku, AT, Tātaki, HOTC, CCRG and other stakeholders working toward operationalising the City Centre Masterplan, filling vacant leases, and creating more spaces for people to spend time in the city. She has also worked with the Mayor on the push to allow easier transition from commercial to residential dwellings and unlocking waterfront Port land for the people of the city.
The Green Party’s A Home for Everyone plan will unlock more housing capacity in areas like the city centre and surrounding areas by allowing developers to build extra storeys when buildings meet high standards of energy efficiency and accessibility. This will enable more people to live close to the city centre.
Labour:
Labour is proud of our delivery record in Auckland. We are the only major political party committed to making serious investment in public services and key infrastructure in New Zealand’s largest centre. Since 2017, we have invested in North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland City and Middlemore hospitals, added ICU capacity and a Special Care Baby Unit, invested $211m in the Manukau health park, and critically invested in our city’s health infrastructure. We’ve fed 65,000 kids across 169 Auckland schools, and have provided infrastructure upgrades to 420 schools through the School Investment Package.
Labour has a plan to deliver a modern transport network that will connect all parts of the city. As highlighted in the recent State of the City Report, we need to future-proof Auckland to service forecasted growth and boost the city’s productivity. Reducing congestion is at the heart of Labour’s plans to unlock Auckland’s potential. To get there, we need improvements to both roading and public transport, giving the public choice and lowering our emissions profile simultaneously.
We have added five kilometres to the Northern Busway and opened the extension between Constellation and Albany. The Northern Busway, which crosses the Harbour Bridge into the city centre is one of New Zealand’s most successful public transport projects – it has vastly improved the daily commute made by thousands of North Shore residents into the city centre. We opened the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway, the Old Mangēre Bridge replacement, completed the Waikato expressway, added cycle lanes, and invested in our rail network from a state of managed decline.
Our transport priorities show that we’re committed to long-term, multigenerational projects that anticipate and prepare for forecasted growth in the city. We will expand on the Northern Busway’s success and build a Northwestern Busway along State Highway 16. We’re committed to a second Waitematā Harbour Crossing – a fully-modal solution for Aucklanders to walk, cycle, bus or drive into the city – connecting our people and freight services across the region. We’ll ensure we have a world-class rapid transit system by investing in light rail and maximising the benefits of the City Rail Link.
We’ve provided significant investment to develop the infrastructure Auckland needs to sustain and grow its communities. Nearly $2 billion has been set aside for Large Scale Projects in Auckland to enable the construction of over 17,000 homes on Kāinga Ora land, and the potential to unlock a further 11,000 on surrounding privately owned land. Additionally, over $500 million has been invested in Auckland under the Land for Housing programme.
Labour has committed to doing its part to support the restoration and revival of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s much loved, nationally significant, and historic St James Theatre. The St James Theatre is a place of outstanding historical and cultural heritage significance. It goes without saying, Auckland has been through a lot in recent times, but we hope that our Government’s support towards the St James as part of the arts precinct, will help keep the heartbeat of the city centre alive.
The Labour Government has been actively working to encourage the return of international students to our tertiary institutions. The University of Auckland has now returned to pre-COVID international student enrolment numbers.
The State of the City Report highlights that Auckland performs well against peer cities in terms of attaining equal gender outcomes, and the gains we have made in closing the economic, social and skills gaps for Māori and Pacific people. Labour will keep going to ensure fairer outcomes for all Aucklanders – Auckland’s success needs to be shared by all.
National:
Our focus will be on making sure the City Rail Link is delivered and that the city can leverage the opportunities it presents for more housing and urban development.
A National led government will also work to make Auckland City one of the safest city centres in the world, instead of a city in which most residents don’t feel safe after dark. If our city centre enjoys a reputation for being safe, we will see more people wanting to live, work, shop, and socialise in the city. This will bring back energy, economic activity and make our city centre a vibrant and safe destination again.
New Zealand First:
New Zealand First is fully in support of more people coming to the CBD to live, work, visit, and study. But they cannot do that with a city design that has sadly fallen to the hand of designers who have never consulted with businesses or the wider population of Auckland. This has led to a situation which must be now a nightmare for the City Council. Auckland is the financial capital of New Zealand but little in the CBD in 2023 images that which is very regrettable.
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