95bFM Auckland Councillors clash with Mayor Wayne Brown on budget
1 June, 2023
Interview by Simon Wraight, adapted by Rawan Saadi
Waitākere councillor Shane Henderson has denied Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's accusation that councillors cannot make “difficult” and “unpopular” financial decisions regarding the Auckland council budget. Photo: Canva.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has announced his final budget proposal for the next year.
In his budget presentation to select media and business leaders on Thursday morning which Brown was accused of "cherry-picking", he said his proposal would remain mostly the same.
But he promised to soften some of the cuts to arts, culture, and public services, and that funding for the Citizens Advice Bureau would be restored.
He reiterated his support for selling the Council's shares in Auckland Airport and stated that rates would increase no higher than 6.7 percent.
Councillors will be voting next week on whether to go ahead with Brown’s proposal for Tāmaki Makaurau.
In his speech, Brown claimed some councillors were not “financially literate” or prepared to make “difficult” and “unpopular” decisions.
Auckland councillor Shane Henderson negated this claim on 95bFM’s The Wire, stating councillors are doing their best to put out a fair budget.
“We have developed the budget every year and have worked hard to do that across several terms. It is no secret I have been arguing for more revenue to try and secure a sustainable financial future for the council.”
Henderson said he believes the council can balance a reasonable rates increase while maintaining necessary public services.
He felt that the council should aim to keep rates below a double digit figure for people struggling with the cost of living crisis.
“We have to set a rate of increase that sets a balance between being affordable for people but at the same time keeping those services in place.”
According to Henderson, the council’s budget proposal needs to increase revenue while managing current and future debt.
“Obviously, we have to look at airport shares. But that is something that has got to stack up financially... The other element is debt. We can take a prudent amount of debt moving forward. But obviously, it is not something you want to do in an ongoing way.”
In response to Mayor Brown’s claim that selling the council's airport shares would mean fewer cuts, Henderson said it was about balancing the budget.
“I would say we are all looking to balance, and for him, that is where he balances… We are still in negotiation, but what is most important is to save these cuts.”
Henderson said there is an opportunity for this budget to generate a sustainable financial future for the council, but there are still areas the councillors are negotiating.
“I can assure the public the council is working very hard at these very hard conversations, and I think the public has really appreciated that.”
