I hope you had a relaxing summer break and managed to survive the 'silly season’.
While you get to enjoy a bit of sun when you can catch it, beach, surf and spend time with those who matter the most, it’s also a chance to reflect and set some goals for the year ahead.
Coming back into the office, it’s not lost on me that 2026 will be a big year for council, Aucklanders and the country.
This year will see the opening of two major projects, the City Rail Link (CRL) and International Convention Centre, that have taken ages and cost ratepayers and taxpayers a fortune to complete.
As I’ve said before, I’m all about doing things better, cheaper and faster and while the CRL and ICC have been complex, they’re both among the most over budget projects ever delivered in this country. On the bright side, they’ll provide lots of lessons on how not to do big projects!
Justifying the expense of CRL means getting more passengers on trains when it opens. This will be helped by more intensification along public transport routes. It’s a no-brainer and means people can live within easy access to transport without having to get into a car and clog up our arterial roads and motorways.
I’m also looking forward to council getting our hands on AT planning and turning AT’s focus on to public transport because it’s something they actually do well. The rest, like strategic decision making and long-term planning, will come back into council which will become a road controlling authority like every other council.
Make no mistake, it’ll be a big challenge, but I’ve never been one to shy away from the big issues. After all, Aucklanders re-elected me and gave me the mandate to finish the fix we started in my first term, like Get Auckland Moving and Stop Wasting Money.
This year is also a big year for a new partnership approach if agreement can be reached between Government and the biggest council in the country. The first of the Government’s City Deals could signal a fundamental shift in the relationship between central and local government because we deserve to be treated as the genuine partner we are.
Finally, my updated manifesto will be published this year with a list of what we’ll do and how Government can help us deliver – namely, being more hands off – so we can get on with lifting prosperity, building confidence, growing our tech economy and focusing on maximising benefit from the new southern link flights between China and South America through Auckland.
There are plenty more things on the list, but it’ll be helpful for the Government to be reminded that it’s Auckland that will decide who will win the central government elections at the end of the year. Note: Red tape and a ‘we know best’ attitude won’t be a vote winner.
Yes, it will be a big year. Let’s get on with it! (Wayne Brown)
