The National candidate for the Maungakiekie Tamaki Auckland Council by election is complaining that if the Labour candidate wins it will trigger a costly by election. But he is ignoring the fact that the three current by elections have all been caused by National endorsed local government representatives resigning.
It has been a decade now since Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide proposed amalgamating all of Auckland’s city councils into one enormous entity by dumping much of the Royal Commission’s proposals. Well it’s time to hold its results to account.
Statistics NZ has released the latest nett permanent and long term migration figures for the year to date at October 2017. There is a slight fall from a few months previously. But it remains a sustained high putting major pressure on infrastructure and resources – especially in Auckland. We need to massively cut any new migration here for years to catch up with the work.
Unless Auckland Council finds more funding for the environment the predictions for what will happen are dire.
National appear to be completely uninterested in spending Aucklander’s transport taxes on Auckland. Instead they want to put in roads that have no economic measurable benefits for Auckland except to increase the road congesting trucks on our roads. Why do National hate Auckland?
The announcement that National were granting infrastructure funds to develop housing projects in the far north and south of Auckland caused me some amusement. Wisely Auckland council resisted this boondongle that only benefits land bankers, speculators and their political party (National) for some time. To the point where National used taxpayer funds instead.
The Government is attempting through coercion and cajoling to get Auckland Council to privatise Ports of Auckland.
Now that the local government elections have been completed what is the best that local communities can expect of their elected representatives?
In Auckland, Christchurch and in mayoral races throughout the country Labour and Progressives had a very good day while National and its proxies must be wondering what they did wrong.
A running post for people to comment on local government election results as they come in.
Expect results to come in from 1 pm.
The South has responded to the Matafai West Auckland effort from yesterday. Sua William Sio says that South Auckland is the Gateway to the nation and the land of the young, beautiful and gifted. Judging by this video he may be right.
The Matafai aiga from West Auckland show how to campaign.
Vic Crone is trying to make a story out of the fact that Phil Goff is against foreign ownership of our housing stock, but accepted $250,000 from the NZ Chinese community at a fundraiser. Does she not see a difference between NZ Chinese and foreigners?
It is local government election time. If you want to vote for progressive candidates these are some suggestions.
Vic Crone isn’t sure humans are causing climate change, Palino doesn’t think Auckland is all that super, and Mark Thomas just wants people not to vote for Goff… It’s hardly an enticing bunch.
I attended the Living Wage People’s assembly this week in St Matthews in the City. The idea behind the meeting was to get Mayoral […]
Savea Peseta Al Harrington Lavea, Auckland Future candidate for the Whau Local Board, shares an unfortunate similarity with David Garrett.
Auckland Future’s campaign has struck problems with candidates being nominated for the wrong positions, multiple right wing candidates running for the same positions and questions over whether the vetting of candidates has been as optimal as could be hoped for.
Rodney Hide must be sleeping well, because Auckland’s proposed Unitary Plan will deliver all he and his NACT patrons ever hoped for. The Council should reject the Plan in its current form, cherry-pick those aspects consistent with a democratic and liveable city and sheet home the responsibility to those that created the mess.
The Unitary Plan has been described as a panacea for the housing crisis by the Government. But will it actually address this most acute of issues?
What are the Nats doing removing a proposed requirement for affordable housing – exactly the housing that Auckland desperately needs!?
Auckland’s Unitary Plan will be available on the web at 1:30pm today, with a tool for checking the impact on any Auckland address.
When it is a variable network pricing mechanism …
Every year, Auckland is more of New Zealand. More of its real estate risk, more of its social problems, more of its productivity […]
Today at about the same time the Government will turn the first sod of the city rail link and then announce more urban sprawl for Auckland. This is the most massive policy and programme contradiction in a lifetime.
It’s naked panic now. In response to the crisis that isn’t a crisis Key is going to overrule the council that his government created and screw over Auckland democracy just like he screwed over Canterbury. What do you think of that Aucklanders?
Two conservative mayoral candidates have proposed that people begging should be fined.
The Government is planning to allow the relevant Minister to change District Plans by regulation or to allow National Policy Statements to change district plans and to prevent submissions being received unless evidence contained is provided by a professional adviser with expertise.
Bernard Hickey’s piece from last Sunday on Auckland Housing is a depressing read.
The real costs of the Auckland IT merger are at least six times higher than National’s original $200 million estimate. This significantly alters the economic case that was made for the “supercity”. Was National’s estimate deliberately wrong, or was it just incompetent?
Stephanie Rodgers analyses two mayoral races and asks why the right in Auckland is so messy. And why Wellington looks more settled.
John Palino has all but announced that he will also stand for the super city Mayoralty and there is a rumour that Simon Lusk will be his campaign manager.
The humans of Remuera succeeded this week in getting Auckland Council to withdraw evidence from the Unitary Plan hearing supporting increased intensification in the leafy suburbs.
John Key has announced that National will bring forward funding of Auckland’s inner city rail link. The decision is welcome but it should have been made years ago.
How many more lies will John Key tell today in his so-called State of the Nation address? Virtual chocolate fish to whomever guesses the closest number.
