Transcript for the 'Annual Plan 2026/2027 | Auckland Council' online information session video

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[Video: The screen shows a navy-blue background with scattered pōhutukawa leaves in lighter blue. Over this is a white heading that reads, 'Auckland Council Annual Plan 2026/2027' and text under it that says, 'Consultation 27 February – 29 March 2026'. At the bottom of the page there is text that says, 'For more information visit akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan.' On the top right of the page is a yellow speech bubble with text inside that says, 'AK HAVE YOUR SAY'. At the bottom right of the page is Auckland Council’s pōhutukawa logo. At the top right of the screen, Mark Reynolds appears on camera.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Tēnā koutou, everyone. I can see people are still joining the call, so we're just going to wait a few minutes for that, or maybe a few seconds. If you happen to be new to Auckland, firstly, welcome. And in fact, council has launched a new site called 'Welcome to Auckland'. Don't go there to have a look at it because this is more important. But, maybe after this, you could have a look at that.

One of the things you'll get to know about Auckland, of course, is that we have this unique Māori culture and identity. It's celebrated as a point of difference in Auckland. And in Auckland, in particular, about 12 per cent of our population is Māori. That makes up about a quarter of the Māori population in Auckland. Sorry, in New Zealand.

So, welcome this evening. And one of the things we'd like to do is just open this meeting with a karakia. So, if we could perhaps move to the next slide for that.

[Video: The screen shows a heading that says, 'Karakia'. Under this is a two column, eight-row table. The two headers of this table are 'Te reo Māori' and 'English', with the lines of the karakia in Te reo Māori and the English translation. On the second row under the Te reo column it says, 'Whakataka te hau ki te uru' with the English translation next to it that reads, 'Get ready for the westerly'. Then, 'Whakataka te hau ki te tonga' with, 'And be prepared for the southerly'. Then, 'Kia mākinakina ki uta' with 'it will be icy cold inland'. Then, 'Kia mātaratara ki tai' with, 'and bitterly cold on the shore'. Then, 'E hī ake ana te ata kura' with, 'May the dawn rise red-tipped'. Then, 'He tio, he huka, he hauhu' and, 'With ice, snow and frost'. Then, 'Tīhei mauri ora!' with, 'Let there be life!'.]

[Voice] – Mark Reynolds

Okay. Whakataka te hau ki te uru, whakataka te hau ki te tonga, kia mākinakina ki uta, kia mātaratara ki tai, e hī ake ana te ata kura, he tio, he huka, he hauhu, tīhei mauri ora!

So, kia ora koutou, ko Mark Reynolds tōku ingoa. Welcome to this evening, to this online session. So, I'm Mark Reynolds. My title is Manager Financial Stakeholder Relations for Auckland Council. So as part of that, letting people know about the annual plan and what's in it is one of the things I do. So on behalf of my colleagues, I want to thank you for joining us and taking the time to tune in this evening. I know there are some elected members of our governing body, and in fact, some elected members of our local boards online. So welcome to them.

The annual plan and its consultation are all about giving them information to make decisions. I'm sure they're very keen to get your feedback on that. So we're here for this session about Auckland Council's annual plan for 2026 to 2027. And the purpose of tonight, it's not necessarily to get your feedback on the plan now, but it's really about explaining the process for you to do that and to answer questions that you might have about what's in the plan so that you can give good feedback on it.

[Video: On a blue screen is white text on the top left that says, 'Te Mahere ā-Tau 2026/2027' and, 'Te Tuhinga Whiriwhiri Kōrero'. Under this is a heading that reads, 'Annual Plan 2026/2027' and text under this reads, 'Consultation Document'. On the bottom left of the page is a 'We’re getting on with it' banner with an illustration of five people. From left to right, the first person is wearing a teal hijab and an Auckland Council lanyard. The second is dressed in a yellow collared shirt and an Auckland Council lanyard. The middle cartoon person is wearing a green T-shirt and is holding a half dome-shaped sign with illustrated symbols that represent Auckland’s landscape, along with text that reads, 'Our Plan'. The fourth person is holding a wrench and dressed in an orange high-visibility vest and a yellow hard hat. The fifth person has black glasses and is wearing a pink top and an Auckland Council lanyard. On the right-hand side of the page is an image of a man and young girl walking on a sandy beach. The man is wearing a hat and holding a cooler box. The girl is holding a towel. On the top right of this image is a yellow speech bubble with text that reads, 'AK HAVE YOUR SAY'. On the bottom right of the page is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Mark Reynolds

The consultation got underway last week, and it's open for the rest of this month. So we'll have an expert from our financial strategy area to take you through what's in the plan. But firstly, I'd like to invite Councillor Greg Sayers, who is chair of our Budget Committee, to say a few words just about why we're having this event.

[Video: Councillor Greg Sayers appears on video at the top right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Councillor Greg Sayers

Thank you very much, Mark. Thank you for your opening and for your introduction. Yes, welcome everybody. Look, first off, thank you so much for caring about your city. Thank you for caring about how your rates get intended to be spent next year. That's next year from the first of July, actually this year, so next financial year. Your voice about these things matters in a democracy.

So yes, my name is Greg, Greg Sayers. I'm the elected member for or councillor that represents the northernmost part of the super city, an area called Rodney. You might know it through township's like Warkworth and Kumeū and Helensville and Wellsford. So that area.

But the reason why I'm speaking to you tonight is...

[Voice] Mark Reynolds

We might just have a slight technical glitch with the...

[Voice] - Councillor Greg Sayers

...Māori Statutory Board. My job is to encourage those people to listen to all the feedback from Aucklanders and to debate that and to agree with the mayor's proposal or not on the 7. 9 per cent rate increase, and also if they agree on what your rates are to be spent on.

So your submissions about these things do get read. They do get considered. It's not a waste of time. Councillors do vote and they do change the things that are in proposed budgets to include more of what people say that they actually want in them.

So, this session is a great way to learn about the annual plan, perhaps a better term - the annual budget. This year, Aucklanders are being asked about your opinion on an average rate increase of 7.9 per cent. And that will raise a lot of additional money for the council. In fact, it will raise about an additional $235 million. And that money is the amount of money that's actually required to run and pay off the City Rail Link.

The CRL, or CRL links, is currently recognised as the largest and most expensive transport infrastructure project in Auckland's history, in fact, in New Zealand's history. So just put another way, the rate increases this year are earmarked for that CRL project.

Although the average residential rate increase is the highest in the super city's history at 7. 9 per cent, it could have been closer to 11.5 if the council wasn't simultaneously cutting about $106 million of unnecessary costs out of the organisation. So there's just some extra perhaps 'food for thought'.

What I did find really helpful today is I did a bit of a Google search, and I found out the Auckland Council actually has a rates calculator. I just googled, 'Auckland Council Rates Calculator 2026'. The first result that popped up was a link to 'changes to rates and fees and charges, Annual Plan in 2026'. I simply clicked on that link, scrolled halfway down the page, and there was a heading saying, 'check proposed rates for your property'. I just simply entered in my property address, and it told me the rates that I pay now and the rates that council would charge me next year if the rate increase goes through. So that might be helpful to have a look at for your own property.

You may find it also interesting that in the material that you might read about this annual budget, it includes $15 million of extra funding across all the local boards. But local boards, like all organisations, are experiencing cost pressures. So, I encourage you to have a study of that section in case you have any feedback or ideas about that, because local boards deliver very important local services to our local areas. I know there's a lot of local board members online tonight and are listening to you tonight, so thank you for those members for joining us.

Finally, I really do want to encourage you to have your say because your feedback is very helpful in terms of shaping important decisions about how your money gets spent. So please feel free to ask the hard questions tonight of the council staff, as well as perhaps listen to the questions other people are asking, because the answers to those questions might help you further with your formal submission.

So look, just on that note, again, thank you for caring about your city. I'll pass you back to Mark now to take us on to the next segment. I'll join you a little bit later this evening. Thank you.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video at the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Thanks very much, Councillor Sayers. I did wonder if some of the savings we were making were because we're not paying our internet bill. I know for some of you, Councillor Sayers may have dropped off a little bit there.

I think one of the things he was saying that you may not have heard is that he's actually chair of the Budget Committee, which is the committee that does a lot of work to make sure we've got the right policies and that the numbers balance for this annual plan. So there's a lot of good work that's done there.

Now, there are some housekeeping notes for tonight and some Zoom etiquette. So firstly, this session is being recorded. It'll be available online in the next few days, and that's on the AK Have Your Say website. So it's akhaveyoursay/ourplan. That's also the place to go if you want to look at the full consultation document. There's a lot of supporting information there. There's videos to take you through the plan. And also, if there are other ways that you want to find out more about what's in the plan, it has lists of events that are on, and also things like accessible documents, so Easy Read documents there as well.

So, akhaveyoursay/ourplan is the place to go. And after you've read all about it and heard all about it, that's the place to go for the online feedback form as well.

So back to the housekeeping, all members of the audience, that's you, have their cameras and microphones disabled. But as always, it's always safe to assume your camera or microphone is on.

So, you can ask questions by way of the Q and A function. So, on your Zoom screen down the bottom of it, should be a little box that says 'Q and A'. If you click on that, you can ask questions, and you can do that at any time. I see a couple of people have already put questions in there, and we'll endeavour tonight to ask all of the questions on that. If we don't get to all of them, then we'll post them on the AK Have Your Say site.

Just in terms of etiquette for what you put up there - you can express concern, you can be humorous. But if any of your comments are disrespectful or off topic, they'll be disposed of by the usual council waste disposal experts.

So we've allowed an hour and a half for this online session to account for the obvious enthusiasm and any technical difficulties we have. But we appreciate your time is precious, so we may wrap up a little bit earlier if it appears the extra time isn't needed.

So tonight's session, all about the consultation on Auckland Council's annual plan. You'll learn a bit about why we have one, what's proposed in the 2026 annual plan, how much it will cost, and who's going to pay for it.

We'll let you know how to give feedback on the plan and when you need to do that by. But now we're going to give you a brief presentation. It'll take about 10 to 15 minutes, and then we'll be open to answer those questions that you can put on the Q and A function.

So feel free to type questions now or any time as we go, and we'll come to them when we're finished.

So as I said, it's about understanding the consultation process, understanding what's in the plan. So remember the old adage, 'there's no such thing as a stupid question'. And also note that your name and question will not appear to the rest of the audience. And we might also, if there's several questions that are much the same, we'll just combine them and answer them as a single question.

So, leading the discussion and the presentation tonight is Michael Burns, who's the general manager of Financial Strategy and Reporting. So I'd now like to invite Michael to talk to us about the plan.

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Thanks, Mark, and kia ora everybody. Thank you for that introduction. I've got just a few slides, well, actually quite a few slides, but will try and work through those pretty quickly, give you an overview of the consultation exercise that the council is undertaking, and then try and wrap that through quickly so we can get into the questions and into the things that people are really interested in.

So, the council publishes a new 10-year long-term plan every three years, and in the in-between years, we publish a one-year annual plan, and that's what we're up to this year.

[Video: The screen changes to a new slide with the same details as the previous slide but in a portrait layout.]

[Voice]– Michael Burns

An annual plan sets out what the council seeks to achieve in the financial year, the services we will provide, how much money will be spent, and where that money comes from. Auckland Council's annual plan consultation for next year, for the 26 to 27 year, runs until 29 March, and the plan will have effect from 1 July this year.

The focus of this plan continues to be getting on with the commitments that we made in our last long-term plan, the Long-term Plan 2024 to 2034.

[Video: The next screen shows the 'We’re getting on with it' banner with the five illustrated cartoon people.]

[Video: The next screen shows a cartoon person above a banner with text that reads, 'We’re getting on with…' and holding a half dome-shaped banner with illustrations of Auckland’s landscape. Seven blue circles with illustrations are around the cartoon person. Each circle has text that describes a key proposal for the 2026 to 2027 annual plan.

Going in clockwise direction, one circle has text that reads, 'Delivering our vision' and, '(see pages 5)'. Below this text is an illustration of a person looking through binoculars. The next circle has text that reads, 'City Rail Link – main reason for rates rise' and, '(see page 12).' Below the text is an illustration of a train carriage. The next circle has text that reads, 'Getting the most out of every dollar' and, '(see page 13)'. Below this text is an illustration of a wheelbarrow with a dollar sign stacked on top. The next circle has text that reads, 'Have your say' and, '(see page 36)'. The next circle has text that reads 'A 7.9 per cent rates rise for average-value residential properties due mainly to CRL costs' and, '(see page 30)'. On the left of the text is a percentage sign in a purple bubble with green and red arrows wrapping around it. The next circle has text that reads, 'Funding local services and infrastructure' and, '(see page 15)'. Under this text is an illustration of two local board members holding weights of gold coins. The next circle has text that reads, 'Key programmes across seven investment areas' and, '(see page 8)'. Under this text are illustrated icons outlining the seven areas of investment. These are:

• transport
• water
• built environment
• natural environment
• community
• economic and cultural development and
• well-managed local government.

In the bottom left-hand corner is a yellow speech bubble with text that reads, 'AK Have Your Say'.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

The long-term vision of the council is to create an Auckland that is beautiful, thriving and safe.

We aim to do this by delivering the improvements to financial and physical resilience that we're committed to in the long-term plan, while building a more efficient council. It's focused on value for money for Aucklanders.

[Video: The next screen shows a white bubble on the left-hand side. In the white bubble is one smaller red bubble with an illustration of a train, bus and car on the left-hand side, and an orange bubble with an illustration of three drops of water. Under the two smaller bubbles, is text that says, 'Our priorities'. To the right of the white bubble is text that reads, 'We are prioritising investment in transport, water and enabling local boards to respond to their communities’ needs.' On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

For 26 to 27, our plan prioritises investment in transport, water and in enabling our local boards to respond to their community's needs. A major highlight of this is the opening of the City Rail Link. This will transform Auckland's public transport and also bring economic and environmental benefits to Auckland.

The ownership and operating costs of CRL, the bulk of which is interest and depreciation costs from the council's share, are the main reason for the planned 7. 9 per cent rates increase for the average-value residential property.

Although the overall rates increase is much higher than we would like, our focus on saving money and running Auckland Council Group efficiently has helped keep the increase lower than it would otherwise have been, as Councillor Sayers mentioned earlier.

[Video: The next screen shows a white bubble with text that reads, 'Key programmes across seven investment areas'. Under this are seven illustrations representing these investment areas. From the left to the right, they are:

• transport
• water
• built environment
• natural environment
• community
• economic and cultural development and
• well-managed local government.

On the bottom right of the screen is the Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

We plan to spend $3.9 billion next year on major building and infrastructure projects across Auckland, like roads, public transport, parks and community facilities. At the same time, we'll also be funding $5.3 billion for the essential services and day-to-day activities that Aucklanders use.

[Video: The next screen shows text that reads, 'Proposed Annual Plan 2026/2027 at a glance'. Below this is a subheading that reads, 'There are seven areas of council activities, or investment, that contribute to the vision for Auckland. The following is what we’re planning to deliver in 2026/2027.'

Below this is a table with seven columns for the seven key areas of investment and two rows showing operational spend (opex) and capital spend (capex) amounts for each investment area. Each column shows the icon for the relevant investment area.

The total amount shown for opex across all investment areas is $5,279 million, and the total shown for capex is $3,940 million. The amounts shown for each investment area are as follows:

• for transport, opex is $1,830 million and capex is $1,472 million
• for water, opex is $829 million and capex is $1,551 million
• for built environment, opex is $72 million and capex is $150 million
• for natural environment, opex is $752 million and capex is $76 million
• for community, opex is $967 million and capex is $367 million
• for economic and cultural development, opex is $210 million and capex is $77 million
• for well-managed local government, opex is $620 million and capex is $246 million.

On the bottom right of the screen is the Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

Our consultation document, and we'll talk about where we can get that later on, and accompanying supporting information, detail the services and activities for each of the seven investment areas for the council. As mentioned, a big focus is on transport, water and community services.

[Video: The next screen shows text that reads, 'Major projects in progress for 2026/2027'. Below this are six boxes listing major projects for different areas of Auckland. In the middle of the page is an illustrated map of Auckland with each area shown in a different colour. The content in the boxes is as follows:

• the north Auckland box has:
  • an illustration of two water wells with the heading, 'Water treatment plant, Wellsford' and text that reads, 'Progressing a new water treatment plant to meet the demands of a growing population'
  • an illustration of a bus with the heading, 'Rosedale Bus Station' and text that reads, 'Progressing construction for a new busway station and multi-mode access improvements to Rosedale Road'
  • an illustration of a house and a tree with the heading, 'East Coast Bays Community Centre' and text that reads, 'Extensive upgrade and building refurbishment'
  • an illustration of a rugby pitch with the heading, 'Te Kori Scott Park, Hobsonville' and text that reads, 'Develop a sustainable sport park'
• the west Auckland box has:
  • an illustration of a person on a bike, a person walking and a tree, with the heading, 'Te Whau Pathway' and text that reads, 'Design and construction of the boardwalks, bridges and concrete paths between Wingate Street and Rata Street'
  • an illustration of a person in a pool with the heading, 'West Wave Aquatic Centre' and text that reads, 'Phase two focuses on the replacement of roofing, cladding, water heater gas boiler, dive pool lining and pool hall filtration system'
  • an illustration of a house and a tree with the heading, 'Te Hono / Avondale Community Centre replacement' and text that reads, 'Development of an integrated library and community centre hub'
• the south Auckland box has:
  • an illustration of a house and a tree with the heading, 'Te Matariki Clendon Community Centre' and text that reads, 'Comprehensive renewal of the library and community centre building'
  • an illustration of two people on a level crossing with the heading, 'Level crossing removals' and text that reads, 'Works to improve remaining pedestrian rail crossings at some rail stations, particularly in Takanini'
  • an illustration of a park slide with the heading, 'Otaawhati – Ray Small Park' and text that reads, 'Upgrade playground and park amenities'
  • an illustration of a person on a bike, a person walking and a tree, with the heading, 'Develop neighbourhood parks in Franklin' and text that reads, 'Bremner Road Drury, Ngakoroa Reserve Drury, Ray Fausett Reserve Pukekohe, Poohutukawa Park Glenbrook, Papahua Sports Park Pukekohe'
• the central Auckland and Gulf islands box has:
  • an illustration of a rugby pitch with the heading, 'Waiheke Onetangi Sports Park' and text that reads, 'Upgrading fields and lighting for community use'
  • an illustration of a person in a pool with the heading, 'Olympic pools' and text that reads, 'Building structure strengthening and renewals'
  • an illustration of a building with the heading, 'Leys Institute' and text that reads, 'Comprehensive redevelopment given the breadth and depth of the works'
  • an illustration of four people standing next to each other with a heading that says, 'City Centre Programme' and text that reads, 'Delivering on the outcomes of the City Centre Masterplan to create a vibrant, accessible and inclusive city centre that contributes significantly to the Auckland region'
• the east Auckland box has:
  • an illustration of a bus station with the heading, 'Eastern Busway' and the text, 'Progressing construction of the Pakuranga to Botany section of the Eastern Busway'
  • an illustration of a cricket pitch with the heading, 'Colin Maiden Park' and text that reads, 'Develop sports fields and infrastructure'
  • an illustration of a park slide with the heading, 'David Lange Park destination playground' and text that reads, 'Stage 2 upgrades including a youth zone'
• The regionwide box has:
  • an illustration of a rugby pitch with the heading, 'Sports field capacity development programme' and text that reads, 'Developing, upgrading and renewing sports fields to increase sports field capacity across Auckland'
  • an illustration of a water dam with the heading, 'Central Interceptor' and text that reads, 'Watercare’s supersized tunnel will reduce wastewater overflows into central Auckland waterways'
  • an illustration of a house with the heading, 'Land acquisitions' and text that reads, 'Acquiring land for parks and open spaces to contribute to Aucklanders’ quality of life, as well as make better use of the parks we already have'
  • an illustration of two buildings with the heading, 'Urban regeneration' and text that reads, 'Strategically planning and investing in town centres, infrastructure and community amenities to enable sustainable development and support vibrant, connected neighbourhoods'
  • an illustration of a person on a bike, a person walking and a tree, with the heading, 'Moving transport forward' and text that reads, 'Developing new travel solutions and improving public transport'
  • an illustration of a train with the heading, 'City Rail Link (CRL)' and the text, 'CRL will be completed and operational in 2026. The 23 new trains, two new underground stations, new bus routes and improvements to the city centre’s public spaces will make travel around the region easier and the city centre more appealing for businesses, visitors and residents'.

On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

The consultation document also highlights the major projects that we will look to progress or complete in the 26 to 27 year.

[Video: The next slide has text that reads, 'CRL – On track to deliver benefits' with an image of a train at the platform at Karanga-a-Hape Station. At the bottom left of the image is a blue arrow pointing up, with the text, 'Karanga-a-Hape Station'.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

A major highlight of this annual plan is the City Rail Link, as I've mentioned. After nearly 10 years of construction, Auckland City Rail Link will open this year, bringing transport, economic, and environmental benefits to Auckland.

New world-class stations, increased train frequency and improved access will encourage growth in jobs and help reinvigorate Auckland.

The ownership and net operating costs for the CRL are, as councillor mentioned earlier, projected to be $235 million from next year. This includes Auckland Transport's $26 million net cost for running the additional stations and services, plus the interest on the money that we've invested. That's about $167 million next year, and the funding required for the depreciation of $42 million that will ensure we can continue to maintain it and renew that asset as needed.

The ownership and operating costs of the CRL, as we've mentioned, are the main reasons for the projected 7.9 per cent rates increase for the average-value residential property.

[Video: The next screen shows an illustration of two local board members standing in front of a local board sign. They are wearing Auckland Council lanyards and holding stacked coins on weighing scales. In front of them is an illustration of row of houses and trees. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

In our annual plan, we're also continuing to invest in local boards, which are responsible for services that strengthen communities in the area. These services include parks, libraries, pools, arts, recreation centres, community halls, programmes and events as well as support for local community groups and environmental initiatives in the area.

Local boards will decide which activities and services to focus on in the area based on the funding available. And as councillor mentioned, that includes an extra $15 million of operating funding next year.

[Video: The next screen shows a colour-coded map of Auckland, with numbers referencing each of the local board areas and the page number of the consultation document that features their proposals. These are:

• Albert-Eden Local Board, page 17
• Aotea/Great Barrier Local Board, page 17
• Devonport-Takapuna Local Board, page 18
• Franklin Local Board, page 18
• Henderson-Massey Local Board, page 19
• Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, page 19
• Howick Local Board, page 20
• Kaipātiki Local Board, page 20
• Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board, page 21
• Manurewa Local Board, page 22
• Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board, page 22
• Ōrākei Local Board, page 23
• Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board, page 24
• Papakura Local Board, page 25
• Puketāpapa Local Board, page 25
• Rodney Local Board, page 26
• Waiheke Local Board, page 27
• Waitākere Ranges Local Board, page 27
• Waitematā Local Board, page 28
• Whau Local Board, page 28.

On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

The consultation document sets out a plan for each of these local boards. Boards will make decisions on the activities within the funding. This could involve reprioritising spending to address the growing costs of running community facilities or introducing a local services targeted rate to maintain services.

Where these changes might result in significant service level impacts, the Governing Body does have options to assist with those funding issues, and this will be considered before any final decisions are made.

Your feedback will help local boards make informed decisions about where to prioritise that funding.

[Video: The next screen shows an illustration of a balanced scale with dollar signs hanging from both sides. To the right of the scale is an illustration of a pink piggy bank with the text ‘savings’ and a hand slotting coins into it. Below this is text that reads, 'Getting the most out of every dollar'. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

In this plan, the council also continues to focus on delivering its savings targets, which are $106 million for next year. That has helped keep the rates increase much lower than it would otherwise have been. We will also continue to carefully manage debt.

The council funds its long-term infrastructure investment, such as pipes, roads and libraries by using debt to spread the costs across the generations that use them.

Our financial strategy includes limits on borrowing and states that group debt must remain below 270 per cent of revenue with a target of being below 250 per cent. Our projections for next year look to be well below that at about 225 per cent.

[Video: The next screen shows a large white bubble with an illustration of a percentage sign in a small purple bubble with green and red arrows wrapping around the purple bubble in opposite directions. Under this is text that reads, 'A 7.9 per cent rates rise for average-value residential properties due mainly to CRL costs’. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

An overall rates increase of 7.9 per cent is planned for the average-value residential property. This is the same as was agreed to for the 26 to 27 year when the long-term plan was adopted in June 2024, and is mainly, as we said, due to the cost of running and owning the City Rail Link. The bulk of this is the interest in depreciation.

[Video: The next screen has the heading, 'Estimated increases for residential ratepayers 2026/2027'. Below this are two tables showing the estimated increases in rates for residential and business properties according to their capital value (CV).

The table for estimated rates for residential properties shows illustrations of different sized houses reflecting the property's value and the following data:

• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $500,000 are:
  • 7 per cent, or
  • $154 a year, or
  • $2.97 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $750,000 are:
  • 7.4 per cent, or
  • $207 a year, or
  • $3.99 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $1.050 million (the median cv) are:
  • 7.7 per cent, or
  • $271 a year, or
  • $5.21 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $1.282 million (the average cv) are:
  • 7.9 per cent, or
  • $320 a year, or
  • $6.16 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $1.5 million are:
  • 8 per cent, or
  • $366 a year, or
  • $7.05 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $2 million are:
  • 8.2 per cent, or
  • $473 a year, or
  • $9.09 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $3 million are:
  • 8.5 per cent, or
  • $685 a year, or
  • $13.17 a week

The table for estimated rates for business properties shows illustrations of different sized shops reflecting the property's value and the following data:

• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $500,000 are:
  • 9.2 per cent, or
  • $326 a year, or
  • $6.26 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $750,000 are:
  • 9.4 per cent, or
  • $465 a year, or
  • $8.93 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $1.050 million (median cv) are:
  • 9.5 per cent, or
  • $631 a year, or
  • $12.14 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $1.5 million are:
  • 9.7 per cent, or
  • $881 a year, or
  • $16.95 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $2 million are:
  • 9.7 per cent, or
  • $1,159 a year, or
  • $22.29 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $3.886 million (average cv) are:
  • 9.8 per cent, or
  • $2,207 a year, or
  • $42.44 a week
• estimated increases in rates for a property with a CV of $10 million are:
  • 9.9 per cent, or
  • $5,603 a year, or
  • $107.75 a week.

On the bottom right of the screen is the Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

For the average-value residential property, the 7.9 per cent rates increase equals around $320 a year or $6.16 a week. And I think some questions have already come in around this. Not everyone will have the same increase. Rates vary based on the capital value of each property and the classification of the property. That's between residential and business or between urban, rural or for farm and lifestyle properties- individual properties, and so that spreads the variation of the rates.

Individual properties might also be subject to specific targeted rates, which could also impact the overall rates charge.

[Video: The next screen shows a blue arrow pointing down with text that says, 'See your online rates guide'. Below this is a link that says, 'akhaveyoursay.nz/ratesguide'. Underneath this link is an illustration of a green arrow and an orange arrow pointing in opposite directions wrapped around a percentage sign. To the left of this is an illustration of a hand tapping on a calculator. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

As Councillor Sayers has identified, if you want to know the rates for a specific property, there is an online rates guide on the council website, and that provides the estimated rates for each property in Auckland for next year.

[Video: The next screen shows a yellow speech bubble, with black text that reads. 'AK HAVE YOUR SAY'.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

So, while there aren't any big issues in this annual plan, and we're, as I said, 'getting on with it' from the last long-term plan, there is still plenty to have your say on. And so what we want to do is just work through the questions that council is asking and how you can have your say.

[Video: The next screen has text that reads, 'Feedback form'. Under this is a heading that reads, 'Annual Plan 2026/2027', followed by another heading that reads, 'You can give feedback until 11:59pm on Sunday 29 March 2026'. Text below this reads, 'We recommend you read the consultation document before you leave feedback. Visit akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan or any council library for a copy of the document. We encourage you to give feedback online at akhaveyoursay.nz, or you can:

• Scan and email your completed form to: akhaveyoursay@auckland.govt.nz
• Post your completed form to: Annual Plan 2026/2027, Auckland Council, Private Bag 92300, Victoria Street West, Auckland, 1142.

On the top right of the screen is a yellow speech bubble, with text that reads, 'AK HAVE YOUR SAY'. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

Our consultation document includes a feedback form at the back with some specific questions for you to consider. This feedback form is in two sections.

First, we have four questions about the annual plan, and then we have two further questions about Auckland's longer-term future.

All the questions are optional. You can answer as many or as few as you want, but we just really want to hear from you, and so get involved.

[Video: The next screen shows a heading that reads, 'Feedback form'. Under this is another heading that reads, 'Question 1: Our overall plan and proposed rates increases'. The text that follows says, 'Our Annual Plan 2026/2027 builds on the first two years of our Long-term Plan 2024-2034 (LTP). It focuses on continuing to strengthen our finances and Auckland’s physical resilience, while investing where it is needed most to meet the needs of our growing communities. In 2026/2027 that includes prioritising investment in:

• transport
• water
• helping local boards respond to the need of their communities.]

[Video: The text continues with, 'This annual plan also proposes how we will pay for services and investments, including a 7.9 per cent rates increase for an average-value residential property. The increase in rates is mainly due to the $235 million yearly cost to run and own the City Rail Link, the bulk of which is interest and depreciation costs for the council’s share of CRL. Individual rates increases will vary by property type and value. Use our online rates guide to see your property.']

[Video: The next heading says, 'What do you think of the proposed annual plan?' Below this question is a list of tick box options. From left to right, the options are:

• Support all
• Support most
• Do not support most
• Do not support any
• I don’t know.

Below these options is the text, 'Tell us why'. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

The first question is about the overall plan. This is where you can give feedback about the proposed overall rates increase and the investment priorities for next year.

[Video: The next screen shows the heading, 'Feedback form'. Under this is another heading that says, 'Question 2: Changes to other rates, fees and charges'. Under this is text that says, 'Besides the 7.9 per cent rates increase for an average-value residential property, the annual plan includes changes to a range of other rates, fees and charges. These include the introduction of a refuse bin or bag exchange fee, changes to the Kingsland and Onehunga Business Improvement District (BID) programme areas, Waitākere Rural Sewerage Scheme and an Auckland Transport proposal to increase residential parking permit fees in specific areas. Refer to pages 30-32 of the consultation document for information about proposed changes to rates, fees and charges'.

Next is more text that reads,' What do you think about these proposed changes? (Please let us know the specific changes to other rates, fees and charges you are commenting on.)'

Under this is it says, 'Tell us why'. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

Question two is about other changes to rates, fees and charges. These include changes to things like the Waitākere Rural Sewerage Scheme and the Rodney and Te Arai District Drainage Schemes.

There are adjustments to some fees and charges for services in line with inflation and other area-specific services, such as, for example, the residential parking permits that are operated by Auckland Transport.

[Video: The next screen has the heading, 'Feedback form'. Under this is another heading that says, 'Question 3: Local board priorities', and text that says, 'For more information, read pages 16-29 of the consultation document. You can find out your local board at www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/en/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/local-boards/find-local-board.html.'

Below this, text says, '3A. Which local board does your feedback relate to?' Under this, text says, '3B. What do you think of the options for your local board area in 2026/2027?' Below this question is a list of tick box options. The options are:

• Support all
• Support most
• Do not support most
• Do not support any
• I don’t know.

Under these options, text reads, 'Tell us why'. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.

[Voice] – Michael Burns

Question three is about local board priorities and options. We want you to let us know which local board your feedback relates to, and then what do you think of the options that the local board is consulting on? As I've said before, local board information is in the consultation document, and we want you to have a look at that and let us know what you think of that. Let the local boards know.

[Video: The next screen has the heading, 'Feedback form'. Under this is another heading that says, 'Question 4: Other feedback'. Next, it says, 'Do you have any other comments on the Annual Plan 2026/2027?' and, 'Including the Tūpuna Maunga Authority Operational Plan 2026/2027 (page 33 of the consultation document)?' On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

Then question four is where you can give feedback on any other aspect of the plan. That includes the Tūpuna Maunga Authority Operational Plan.

So just tell us what you think.

So, the council also wants feedback on our longer-term priorities, ones that will help shape the city over time.

[Video: The next page has the heading, 'Feedback form' and another heading that says, 'Looking further ahead / shaping Auckland’s longer-term future'. Next, text reads, 'Now we want your feedback on longer-term priorities that will help shape the city over time. We are planning some discussions for next year to inform plans and strategies to shape Auckland’s future. These include (but aren’t limited to):

• regional transport plans
• water service strategies
• Auckland’s spatial plan
• our 2027 to 2037 Long-term Plan, which sets funding for regional and local priorities listed below.'

Text below says, We will continue to invest and deliver in all our investment areas, but we want to understand your priorities.']

[Voice] - Michael Burns

We are planning some discussions for next year, that's 2027, to inform plans and strategies to shape Auckland. These include, but aren't limited to, our regional transport plans, our water services strategies, Auckland's spatial plan, and our 2027 to 2037 long term plan, which is coming around quickly and sets our funding for a range of regional and local priorities.

To help inform that, the mayor and the councillors are asking all Aucklanders now about what are your priorities and what potential trade-offs you'll be interested in for that planning.

[Video: The next screen has the heading, 'Feedback form.' Under this is another heading that says, 'Question 5: Which areas are most important to you over the long term? Please rank these areas from one (most important) to six (least important).'

The areas are:

• Economic development and events - growing Auckland’s economy and supporting events, tourism and creative industries.
• Local parks, community and recreation services - local parks, sports fields and other physical recreation services, libraries, community centres and services, and funding community-led initiatives
• Planning and infrastructure to manage growth - planning how and where Auckland grows, rebuilding urban centres, improving infrastructure and coordinating land-use with public services
• Regional parks and environment - looking after Auckland’s natural areas, streams, coastal zones and cultural heritage, reducing waste and supporting community-led environmental projects
• Transport - roads, public transport, walking and cycling, and making it easier, safer and more sustainable for people to move around
• Flood resilience - reducing flood risks, upgrading stormwater systems and protecting waterways.'

Under the list is the text, 'What specific council activities or services do you most want us to prioritise, and why?'On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

So, the first question, we'll continue to invest and deliver services and activities across a range of areas, but we want to understand your priorities. Councillors want to know. We're asking which type or area of investment you think we should prioritise, and we'd like you to consider any activities you think should be most prioritised.

[Video: The next screen has the heading, 'Feedback form'. Under this is another heading that says, 'Question 6: City Centre' and texts that reads, 'Auckland’s City Centre is the economic heart of our region. Overall, the city centre accounts for about a fifth of everything produced in Auckland’s economy. We want to make public spaces work better for people, get more value from major investments in transport and make sure council helps the city centre thrive as a place to live, work, study and visit.'

Under this is the heading, 'What improvements do you think we should prioritise in the city centre? (select up to 5)'.

Next is a list of tick box options. The options are:

• 'Better connections - improve links between the city centre, the waterfront and nearby neighbourhoods'
• 'Events and city life - attract people to the city centre through events, culture and a strong sense of place'
• 'Getting around - make it easier to walk, drive, cycle and use public transport in the city centre and from east to west, including better traffic flow'
• 'Māori identity and culture - reflect and celebrate Māori identity and culture throughout the city centre'
• 'Safety - safer and more welcoming city centre, both day and night, for residents, workers and visitors'
• 'Streets and public spaces - improve streets, parks and public spaces so the city centre is a great place to live and spend time in'
• 'Supporting businesses - help businesses succeed by making them easier to access and attract more visitors to the city with well-designed streets and public spaces'
• 'Other - please specify'.

At the bottom of the screen, text says, 'Have more to say? You can attach extra pages. On the bottom right of the screen is Auckland Council's pōhutukawa logo.'

[Voice] – Michael Burns

We also want your feedback on the future of Auckland City Centre. This is the economic heart of the region, producing around one-fifth of Auckland's total economic output. We want to make sure that city centre public spaces work better for people, get more value from major investments in transport, and make sure council support helps the city centre thrive as a place to work, live, study and visit. So we are interested in your feedback about which investments should be prioritised within the city centre, and there's some options there in question six.

[Video: The next screen has the heading, 'Consultation timeline' below a blue arrow. Underneath the heading is a blue rectangle with a grid and a timeline bar. The timeline reads from left to right:

• ‘Public consultation - 27 February to 29 March 2026. This is when you can have your say.'
• 'Deliberations - The Governing Body and local boards will consider public feedback.'
• 'Adoption of Annual Plan 2026/2027 - By 30 June 2026. Governing Body adopts the final Annual Plan 2026/2027.'

Above the timeline is a yellow speech bubble with the text, 'AK HAVE YOUR SAY'.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

So that's what we're consulting on, and the consultation runs from 27 February, was that last week? to 29 March 2026. You're welcome to provide us with your feedback within those dates, and then the Governing Body and local boards will consider that feedback before adopting their final plan in late June.

[Video: The next screen has the heading, 'Ways to have your say'. Under this, text reads, 'To have your say on these issues or anything in the budget that is important to you, you can:

• visit akhaveyoursay.nz/our plan
• phone 09 301 0101
• visit your service centre or library.'

Below this text says, 'Feedback must be received by Sunday 29 March. Final decisions will be made in June 2026 and the final budget will be available on aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.'

On the top right-hand corner of the screen is a yellow speech bubble with the text, 'AK HAVE YOUR SAY'.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

So there's a number of ways to have your say. You can go on online to akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan, or you can visit a library where they have copies of the consultation material and the feedback form.

The camera's not working.

Or give us a call and we can help work through that for you. We also have a number of other accessible ways that we can share the information for those who need that.

[Video: The next screen shows the 'We’re getting on with it' banner with an illustration of five-cartoon people. The third person is holding a half dome-shaped sign with landmark symbols that represent Auckland’s landscape, along with text that reads 'Our Plan'.]

[Voice] – Michael Burns

So, thank you in advance, for having your say on our annual plan. We're getting on with what's in the long-term plan, but there is still a lot more to do. Thank you. Mark.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video in the top-right corner of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Thanks, Mike. There's a lot in it, clearly, and a lot to understand. I did some calculations, and it's like, $9.2 billion dollars is a big number, roughly half and half into big infrastructure projects and the rest of it into, shall we say, the day to day running of council. So one of them, roads, buses, the other is making sure there's drivers and that sort of thing.

And I calculated that $9.2 billion, it's $24 million a day. It's a million dollars an hour. It just gives a sense of the size and scale of everything that council does. So I do encourage people to have a look at that AK Have Your Say website, where there's more information about exactly what we do. So you can really see what it is that council is doing, what it is we're planning to be getting on with.

And also, in terms of the feedback, you don't have to answer all of the questions. You can just pick which ones that are of most interest to you. And if the form doesn't suit you, you can just send us an email if you want. If you've got some young family members who want to do a video of it, you could actually send that into the email address, and our insights people will try and make some sense of that for us.

Also, if you want to find out more, yes, there's AK Have Your Say, but also via Facebook or Instagram or even LinkedIn, there's information there.

So, I think we should get on to answering some of the questions that we have, Mike, if you're up for that?

I'm going to start with one of the questions that's come in, and a couple of people have asked it actually, is about what 'average' actually means. How is the average calculated and which areas might, because of that, be your... Which areas, or I guess which rate payers or property owners might be subject to a higher increase and, or lower, I suppose.

So, do you think you can answer that question about what 'average' really means?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Thanks. Yes, so when we say 'average', what we're talking about is the rates increase for the average-value residential property in Auckland. So the average-value residential property in Auckland is worth $1.282 million, slightly higher than it was. Anyway, so that's how we calculate this.

So what is the average-value property going to experience? That average-value property will experience a 7.9 per cent rate's increase, as I said earlier, $320 increase.

Because of the way rates work, so rates include both a fixed and a variable component, the fixed component called the Uniform Annual General Charge is $662 for every property. And then the rest of the rates is collected based on the capital value of the property.

So what that does mean is that properties above that average will have a slightly higher rates increase and properties below it will have a slightly lower one. And looking at my copy of the consultation document here, I can see that if your property is worth one and a half million dollars, so just above that average, your rates increase looks at about 8 per cent, well, bang on, 8 per cent. Whereas, if your property is worth half a million dollars, $500,000, your rates increase looks like 7 per cent.

So that's how the average works. It's based on the average-value residential property. And then we calculate what the increase is for that property and then how it's spread across.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

I'm going to take you to a year nine maths question, Mike. And that's around the difference between average and median. So, some people might think that average means half are paying more, half are paying less, but median comes into play there as well, doesn't it?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yes, the median property, we actually have put that in the consultation document as well, which is lucky for me. So I can tell you now that that median value property is just slightly lower, $1.050 million. And then because that's worth slightly less, that rates increased there by 7.7 per cent.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yeah. And in terms of that increase of 7.9 per cent, will that sort of vary across those values? You might recall last year, there was quite a bit of variation around that. What sort of variation might people see?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah, so last year, there was a lot of variation, and that was related to the revaluation of properties. And so every three years, the council is required to revalue all the properties in the region and then reset the rates based on those new values.

And what we find is every time that happens, you get quite a bit of variation between the level of rates between different properties.

This year we're not doing a revaluation. And so the key driver of difference between rates increase is just where the house, the total value of the property. So as I said, slightly above the average, slightly higher increase, below the average, slightly lower.

But no, we're not likely to see those huge variations because we're not having a wholesale revaluation. I mean, there may be some properties that have been revalued, especially where they've had improvements done to them or something like that, and that new valuation will be taken into account, but not on the scale we saw last year.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yeah. And as was mentioned by yourself and Councillor Sayers, if you want to see what your property is going to be charged in rates for the 2026 to 2027 year, you can go to that online rates guide. You can also look at your neighbours'. And if Mike gives his address, you can go look at his later as well.

All of the properties are there. Actually, on that because the rates are set for average-value residential property. But then what does that mean in terms of other types of properties? Will they be subject to that same change of 7.9 per cent, or is there a little variation around that?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

No, there's a bit of variation there. For example, in business properties, so the council has a policy of how much of the rates is collected from business properties. And therefore, that means that they're calculated slightly differently. And so we see that a similarly valued business property, if you see a business property at just over a million dollars, their rates increase would be about 9.5 per cent. And that's so that we can maintain that same share of the total rates coming from business properties.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yeah. I happen to know that that number is 31 per cent.

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

I thought it was.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

The other thing that might be of interest is that council doesn't get all of its money from rates. I think it's for this upcoming budget, it's around 40 per cent. And you might say, Where's the rest come from? The rest of it comes from fees and charges. So things like if you get on the bus, you pay a fare. If you park, you pay a fee for that. And if you park too long, thank you, you pay a fine for that.

But also a lot of the other activities we do, like consents, there are fees for that. And also a big chunk comes from central government, doesn't it? In terms of various grants that we get from them. Yeah. Cool.

So, that 7.9 per cent, you did touch on it. I mean, it's higher than last year. And I think as Councillor Sayers, said, it's amongst, if not one of the highest changes. What's causing it to be so high? Can we just reiterate that?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah. So, look, as I said earlier, the main driver of that is the opening of the City Rail Link. So once the City Rail Link opens, we all get to experience those benefits, and we should start paying for it.

That includes both the costs of operating it, getting those services through the tunnels, running the trains, paying the drivers. But more, that's actually a relatively small amount, about $26 million a year. The real cost is what it cost us to build it.

The total project cost five and a half billion dollars. The council paid half of that and largely borrowed that money. And so we've been paying interest, but we haven't been passing that interest on cost onto rate payers yet. We've been paying for the interest with debt, capitalising it, if you like. But now that Aucklanders will be benefiting from that project, it makes sense for them to start paying for that interest.

That interest will be about $167 million next year. And then we also need to start funding the depreciation - as that asset gets used it depreciates in value, and we need to pay for that so that pays off that debt so that we've got, so that when it comes time to renew it, you're not borrowing on top of borrowing to fund that renewal.

So the big part of the 7.9 per cent, and in fact, an equivalent amount to the 7.9 per cent is the cost of the CRL. That doesn't mean that's the only new cost that the council is absorbing next year. All of our costs are still subject to annual pressure as prices rise.

It's costing more money to mow the lawns, to clean your local community centre and things like that. Those costs are going up. We've increased the funding to local boards, as we mentioned earlier, an extra $15 million. And so there's a lot more cost coming through as well as that. But, through the savings programme that the council's adopting, we're able to get those things to balance out and sit at a 7.9 per cent rates increase for next year.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yeah. I'm sure we've all experienced some of those cost increases in our personal lives, whether it's our power bills or insurance. But one of the questions, I think you touched on it just around CRL. Someone's asking, "when is the CRL forecast to start paying down its debt, if ever?"

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Right. Yeah, it's a good question. So, yes, we borrowed a hell of a lot of money to pay for the CRL. What the council does with those big projects is that we pay down the debt through what we call depreciation funding.

Depreciation is an accounting measure of the use of an asset, or its drop in value as it gets used. As you continue to use things, they wear out, and eventually they'll need replacing. Some things have a life of about five years. My washing machine turns out to have had a life of 12 years as I discovered last week. But other things, many of our assets have lives of 100 years. Over the period of that life, you book what you call a depreciation value, sharing that cost over the life. And by funding that, by covering that cost with our operating income, we're effectively paying down that debt.

And if I'd sensibly been funding the depreciation on my washing machine over the life of it, I would have be able to now go out and buy a brand new washing machine and not be putting more borrowing on top of whatever I paid for it the first time.

So that's what we do. Through depreciation funding, we pay down that debt so that we can, when it comes time to renew it, we can do that and we're not loading debt on top of debt.

[Video: Mark Reynold appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice]- Mark Reynolds

I wish I'd allowed for depreciation in my lifetime. I'd be ready for a renewal shortly.

We've got another question related to CRL. "How is the interest charge on CRL determined, and will this charge be subject to market fluctuations in interest rates?"

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah, so the council has an extensive borrowing programme. We currently have debt of around $15 billion. And the interest charge, the council is subject to market fluctuations in interest rates. However, we do have a very mature treasury operation, and we actually hedge a lot of our interest rates because we know that Aucklanders don't want us to have to increase and decrease rates every time the market moves.

We protect ourselves from those market movements through a 'hedging' programme. But yes, there'll always be some variation that we have to manage for each budget due to movements in the market. But we try to control those and limit that impact on all things.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

"Hedges", that's not sort of a green fence, is it? It's more like an insurance policy, isn't it? That we pay for either side of things. Cool.

There's a question here, and you'll be able to correct what's in the question. "Why is CRL being paid for solely by Auckland rate payers, or is this only partially paid for by council?"

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

It's a great question. No. So, as I said, most of the cost that we're wearing now is related to the original building of the CRL, and the council only paid for half of that. Council is paying half of the five and a half billion dollars to build the CRL, and central government is paying the other half. And so our interest costs are only on half the bill. In addition, not all the assets that are created by that are coming to the council. Some of those will go to KiwiRail.

And then in the operating costs, the additional operating costs for the CRL, those ones that I've mentioned are after we get subsidies from central government for our operating costs.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

I happen to know that you've seen CRL such as it is at the moment. What do you think of it?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

I mean, it's a very impressive project. It's quite a site. Looking forward to being able to catch it, to see it via a train. It'll be great fun. Yeah.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

And someone's asking why the CRL cost is not a targeted rate.

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Okay, so I mean, look, the CRL project was begun, planned for more than 10 years ago. But the CRL has benefits across the region, and that's been clear from the start is that those big regional investments that make a big shift should be charged across the region in the same way that people across the region are paying for, for example, the Eastern Busway or something like that. So a transport network, and particularly a public transport network, has benefits, network benefits that spread a lot wider than the immediate piece of investment.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

There are benefits, I presume, also, including decongestion of motorways ... exactly.

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

And the environmental benefits. And I think the benefits are to all parts of the system. And the more people that get on, every extra person that gets on a train is one less car on the road for us. And if you're someone who needs to use a car, and whether that's as an electrician getting to your next job, a few more commuters on the train would be great news for you.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

And the CRL plan and what it actually is - it's more than just a train track, isn't it? There's stations and the bus hubs as well. So it's connected. Is that correct?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

It's a whole network benefit, right?

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yes. One of the things I heard was, in fact, I read it in the consultation document, is that if you're coming in from Henderson at the moment, where your trip is maybe an hour or so, then with CRL, it's going to take 24 minutes off that travel time. So you get best part of an hour back. So I hope that comes through.

One of the other questions we have, Mike, is about this UAGC (Uniform Annual General rate). So, council decide... This is the question - council decided to keep its current UAGC policy this year, i.e. moving the level of the UAGC to keep it around 40 per cent of the total general weight. So I think it's asking about the equity of that, and I suppose the possibility of that changing.

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah, so, yeah, the council has had a UAGC that has not changed, sorry, has just changed with the overall average rates increase over the past few years. But there is a possibility that they could look at that through the next long-term plan, and that's an opportunity for the council could look.

The UAGC has quite a bit of difference around equity and quite a bit of impact in there. So a high UAGC means you're thinking more of rates as a fee for service. You have a higher fixed charge and a lower variable cost. That would mean lower rates for higher value properties. A lower UAGC, I suppose, thinks of rates as more of tax and would mean a higher share of rates going to lower value properties.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Rates are not simple. And I know that when I get my rates bill, there's usually a long line of things that make up the overall cost. The UAGC is part of the general rates, isn't it? And there are a number of other rates that make up the overall rate we're talking about the 7.9 per cent change on?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Sorry.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

So the UAGC is part of the general rate, and when you get your rates bill, it's in there. But the 7.9 per cent isn't just the general rates change, is it?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

No, 7.9 per cent also includes those targeted rates that are generally paid across Aucklanders. That includes things like our natural environment targeted rate, our water quality targeted rate and also those waste rates that we all pay for rubbish and recycling and for the food scraps collection.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yeah, that's great.

Hey, we're getting lots of good questions through the Q and A. I think we're answering a lot of them as we go. Don't be afraid to keep putting those in. We're keen to get as many as we can. It's all great feedback. And as I said, it's feedback for councillors who ultimately make decisions on the final plan. And one thing to realise is, is it does make a difference.

We only need to think back, I think it was three, four years ago, lots of changes were suggested to services, including Citizens Advice Bureau, lots of feedback from the public. Council has changed their mind. Mike, do you just want to talk to that process a little bit of how the feedback actually gets used and why it matters.

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah. So the feedback comes back into council. We have a team that analyses it, and all of the feedback that is submitted becomes available to all councillors. And so they can assess, they can look at all of that feedback. We also have teams that look to theme the feedback and classify the answers so that we can really feed that through to councillors , to just really support their decision-making.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

That's great. As I say, I've seen it in meetings where they look at the feedback and maybe we need to do something a little bit differently. So, your opinion matters, everyone.

We've got some further questions. One of them is about water. We saw things like the floods of 2023 and Cyclone Gabrielle, and we know that because of climate change, we're subject to some increased weather events. The question here is, "Does the water investment include flood mitigation?"

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yes. So - that was quick! No, the water investment. So next year, and I'm just looking at page eight here, capital investment in the water space, one and a half billion dollars. That includes both the investment in the water and wastewater networks that Watercare look after, but also in our stormwater area, or our stormwater and flood mitigation area. And that includes flood mitigation investment.

So, whilst our buyout programme is wrapping up, this year, we're almost complete in that programme. The next phase, and one that we've already started, is active flood mitigation. And you'll have heard that talked about in terms of the phrases 'making space for water' and 'blue-green networks'.

And the first big projects for that is Clover Drive in West Auckland, and also the Milford, Wairau Valley area, where a great deal of the flooding in the anniversary floods occurred. And you'll have all not been able to escape hearing about the project to increase mitigation through the repurposing of the Takapuna Golf Course. So yes, the investment in those projects is included under that water investment area.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

I was at a meeting in Māngere earlier this week. There was a presentation about one of the big culvert changes there. I think that's part 'making space for water' programme.

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Two projects in Māngere that are in progress there.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yeah, and there were, I think, several thousand homes were actually going to benefit from this. I guess the other thing that comes to mind from that is in the water and wastewater space. You know, we've seen some situations around the country where things have happened with water and wastewater. But this plan, does it include plenty of spending for, I suppose, sort of renewals and replacing those sorts of assets, so they're in good shape?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yes. So, the Auckland Council Group, so this is a group budget, which includes Watercare. And people may be aware that at the start of the current financial year, in June last year, there was a separation of the debt of Watercare from Auckland Council. And this has enabled Watercare to step up its investment programme.

Watercare has an ambitious programme of looking after its assets, reinvesting renewals and great improvement to both the water and wastewater networks. And that includes both renewals across the network, but also big projects like the Central Interceptor Wastewater Project, which is going to make a real difference across the isthmus in terms of wastewater overflows and while also providing for ongoing growth.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

So, there is a lot of detail there. So, as I've mentioned before, if you go on to akhaveyoursay/ourplan, you can get both consultation document, feedback form, but also this document here, I don't know if it shows or the thickness of it shows.

[Video: Mark Reynolds holds up a copy of the annual plan supporting information document.]

Video: The screen changes to show text that reads, 'Ways to have your say'. Under this, other text reads, 'To have your say on these issues or anything in the budget that is important to you, you can:

• visit akhaveyoursay.nz/our plan
• phone 09 301 0101
• visit your service centre or library.'

Below this more text says, 'Feedback must be received by Sunday 29 March. Final decisions will be made in June 2026 and the final budget will be available on aucklandcouncil.govt.nz'.

On the top right-hand corner of the page is a yellow speech bubble with the text, 'AK HAVE YOUR SAY'.]

[Voice] – Mark Reynolds

It's 196 pages of supporting information which includes the detail of some of that capital spending as well. So, you can't say there's not enough information available to give your feedback on, but go there and have a look.

Just to some other questions now, Mike. And this is about, I know it's been one of the issues of concern in the city, and that's roaming dogs. So this question, "Is there enough increase in the animal control budget to get on top of the roaming dog problem?"

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah, that's a great question. And a front of mind issue for a lot of people across the country, but also here in Auckland, it's a real challenge. We heard on the radio just the other day, our manager in that space saying that the council has invested an additional $15 million into this area to support our response to the animal control issue, but also that Auckland Council is continuing to advocate to central government for legislation change that will enable us to better respond to the problem.

I think this is a key area that we're looking for people to give feedback on as part of this consultation. Maybe talk to your local MP about the legislative change piece as well. But no, that's a real problem. Our team are working really hard on it, and we're keen to hear from Aucklanders about their experiences and whether this is a key priority that we're correctly focusing on.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice]- Mark Reynolds

Yeah. It would be great, as you say, for people to give feedback on that and, or any other matter. And if you want to give us a picture of your non-roaming dog, we'll maybe put an AK Have Your Say feedback dog hall of fame up. So that can be there as well. That's a promise I don't know if the team can deliver on, but anyway, it's made now.

So, one of the other questions and one of the features of last year's annual plan was to talk about the bed tax, the 'bed night' visitor levy. This question is, "What's the status of discussions between the mayor and government on the introduction of the bed tax?" And I guess the next part of the question is, "What does it mean for the budget part of this plan?"

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah. So, those conversations are ongoing from what we understand. The mayor has been very clear, and the council has been very clear that this is a key funding source that can help us in ensuring that Auckland promotes itself to the world and it improves our visitor economy.

So, in the meantime, without that, it is limiting the amount of investment we're able to make in visitor attraction. The council is still looking to do that through where it can identify funding, but short of any progress from central government on that, that's meaning we're needing to limit some of that investment.

We're still able to get some things like State of Origin coming, but we're still continuing to advocate to government for the introduction of a bed tax that can more fairly deliver that revenue.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yeah. So there's the bed tax and also there's the congestion charging. And there's a question that somehow meshes up both:

"If Auckland Council was successful in implementing either a bed tax or a congestion charge, would this impact on our rates, or are the potential revenues already committed to be spent?"

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

That's a good question. And look, no revenues are committed. Options continue to, or are always available to, our elected members. And these are exactly the things where you're having your say through this and through future consultations can help support our elected members to make those decisions. The council has said that if they could get a bed tax, they would want that tagged to be spent on events and visitor attraction.

A congestion charge - congestion charges have many benefits. Hopefully, the key benefits are that they actually improve the congestion situation by pricing things. Any revenue on that, we would expect, would be tagged to transport projects.

And then the question comes to our elected members and to you through these consultation exercises, does that extra revenue mean more transport projects, or does it mean less rates funding for the existing programme? Again, just another good reason to get involved in the consultation.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

It's something I suppose we haven't mentioned, the budget or the money part of it. It's a balancing exercise, isn't it?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

It's always about trade-offs.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

And priorities.

Speaking of trade-offs and priorities, there's a few questions. It's related to CRL. And it's along the lines of what's being done to make sure that certain areas of the region receive a fair portion of the budget and the benefit of it? CRL might be great for the city, but some people consider it irrelevant for Warkworth or Wellsford, where sealing roads is more relevant. So do you want to talk to that issue generally? Well, specifically.

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Well, specifically. So, the council continues to invest right across the region. There's large investment across the region. And I think we can see some of that investment detailed, highlighted on pages 10 and 11 of your consultation document you all have in front of you. And that includes right across different things. But again, this is where having your say is really helpful. Advocating for those projects that are important to you is really key.

The other key thing to think about with the services that council provides, nearly all of our services are network services. They're about providing a network of something for across the city, whether that's a network, a roading network, a public transport network, a water network, wastewater network, or a network of swimming pools, or a network of community centres. Where parts of that network are improved, the benefits spread across the network, and hopefully, we can see those benefits delivering outcomes for all Aucklanders.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Yeah, I've heard the term 'social good' as well, which I presume is part of that.

I'm just looking at that 'major projects' page now, and I see there's everything from a water treatment plant in Wellsford and wastewater treatment plant there, Rosedale Bus Station to the Te Whau Pathway in West Auckland, the Eastern Busway, Olympic Pools, which I presume is in Newmarket, Waiheke Onetangi Sports Park, the Clendon Community Centre.

Then there's the regional things like the Central Interceptor, the Integrated Transport Plan and the CRL. So quite a lot right across the region, isn't there - that gets funded in this plan?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yes, definitely.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

So, we've got another question here, and it's related to actually that transport spend. "Has there been any funding to upgrade the rail crossing at Glen Eden in West Auckland?" That's quite specific. "With more trains coming, this crossing will not cope as it is dangerous now for train users and pedestrians."

So, I guess maybe generally about the crossings, the level crossings, as they're called with rail. Is there funding in here for that?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

So, Auckland has a number of, quite a number of 'at-grade' crossings to the rail network. And as the CRL opens up this year and we get more trains running, that will put pressure on a number of these rail crossings. And I think the person who's asked this question is quite right. That is both a safety issue and also an issue for the other parts of the network, the roading network, where the barriers will be down longer than they currently are. And so that will have impacts on other parts of the network.

There is not currently funding for that specific rail crossing in our existing plan. We are rolling out some level crossing removals across other parts of the network, but this will be a big project. And I think a key issue as the councillors move into our long-term planning, that includes the 30-year Integrated Transport Plan that the council is looking to work on with the central government. How we deal with those 'at-grade' crossings and the impacts both for the networks and the efficiency of the networks, and also in terms of public safety will be a key question. So, thank you for that question.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

That's great. I suspect that someone from Glen Eden will be having their say on it, and they can do that through akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan or phone us up on 09 301 0101. Or if you want, you can visit a service centre or library. The feedback forms are there and someone, if you need it, can help you to figure out how to fill it in. They won't fill it in for you. It's for you to give your feedback on that.

One of the important questions that's come up, and it's related to the rates increase at 7.9 per cent. We've mentioned a couple of times that it's one of the more sizable increases. So, what are the ways that we can assist if someone has some problem in paying that? Are there ways and means both to pay it and if you need help, if you're unable to pay it, what can people do there?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah, that's a good question. So, there's a number of things that the council can look to do. The first thing I can say is if you're really having difficulty, contact us. That's the first thing. And we have teams that are here to help and want to support people through their rates.

If it's just a budgeting matter, look, yes, your rates bill will turn up, and it will have four instalments that are due across the year. You don't have to pay your rates in that way. We have options where you can set up a direct debit, have your rates bill spread across the year and come out weekly, fortnightly, monthly, have it come out 20 minutes after your pay goes in or something else.

So, there's options on our website and on your rates bill about setting up a direct debit so that you're not having to set up those future payments and risk missing them. And also, that you're not having to pay those big lumps.

If there are other further budgetary challenges to paying your rates, there are some other options we have. So there is a rates rebate for Super Gold card holders that's provided by the government. You do need to apply for that. They've just increased the threshold for that from 31,000 to 45,000. So more rate payers who receive national superannuation are eligible for that rebate.

We also have our rates postponement option, which allows people to capitalise their rates against the value of their property. And then, as I say, if you contact us, we have people who are ready and keen to help you out in finding ways through.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

So that rebate, I think you can get more than $800 back depending on your circumstances to go towards rates. So I think that's the magnitude of it there.

So, again, if you want to find out more about those options, there is a link on the akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan site for that. So I'd sort of encourage people to have a look there.

A couple more questions. One of them is related to people who are suffering homelessness and whether there's anything in this plan that's offering assistance there at all. Is there something in this plan that someone could give some feedback on?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Look, council continues to support a number of programmes around homelessness through things like 'Housing First'. So, I think having your say in that space is key. And voicing your concerns is key to help support our councillors in the decision-making they need to make.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice]- Mark Reynolds

Yeah, I think the perception of that issue could be around Central Auckland, which is the segue I'm going to use to talk about the two forward-looking questions that we're asking as part of this plan. So they're looking at the longer-term issues, aren't they? Why are those questions being asked as part of this annual plan?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Yeah, look, we're taking this opportunity and the council is, while they're still looking to finalise this plan for next year, some bigger long-term planning is coming, and they'll need to do that over the next year. And they're already starting to think about what is it that they want longer term for Auckland, And these questions are designed to help the councillors and other elected members - through local board members, through the members of Houkura, the Māori Statutory Board that they support.

They help support them in this decision making about the longer term, the big issues for Auckland that need to be dealt with over the longer term. So there's two questions there as I mentioned earlier, the first one is about prioritisation and prioritising those big issues. The second is, as you said, focused in on the city centre and asks some quite specific questions about what are the big improvements that people think we should prioritise in the city centre that talks about things like better connections, events in city life, make it easier to get around, celebrating a Māori identity and culture, safety. Is that the big issue? Talk about our streets and public spaces, about supporting businesses, and also gives the opportunity for people to make their own statements. Anything else that they think are the big issues, improvements that should be prioritised.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

So, those questions are on pages 38 and 39 of the consultation document. So, within the feedback form there. I don't know if anyone else has noticed that the city centre looks like a mousse when it's in matt form, but that's my contribution for the evening.

But there are some other questions we've got here, Mike, some specific questions. So one of them is related to bins. And it says, "With waste management across the region, why does it seem that new local parks don't have bins included for public use? Why is that, or is it something that's coming in the future?"

[Video: Michale Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

It's a good question. Look, I think those decisions are made at a local level. They're questions to your local board. And I think this is another key area for your feedback. Make that comment in your feedback, particularly in the local board section. Identify your board. And that really gets that right into, focus it in on those who are making those decisions.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

That's great. And another one that we suspect we want to give some feedback on - it's around the food scraps collection. Asking what that costs, but I suspect it's also behind that is, what's the food scraps system? What is it? Not only what does it cost, what does it achieve?

[Video: Michael Burns appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Michael Burns

Right. So, the food scraps costs $71.61 per service from next year. That's actually slightly lower than in the current year, as it's costing us less money and because it's a targeted rate - the charge is directly related to what it's costing us to deliver.

What does this service deliver? So there's a wide variety of environmental benefits from scraps waste. There's direct benefits to us that we're able to separate that waste out and have it collected. But also, that delivers wider benefits through what goes down and is used. The food scraps are collected, shipped down to a place in the Waikato and used directly to fertilise market gardens in that space.

But yeah, so that's directly charged for this specific service. And like I say, with a slight reduction, almost $7 reduction on the current year as we've managed to get those costs down a bit.

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

As you mentioned, lots of environmental benefits to that. Bizarrely, I've been at some meetings where people have said the bin is not big enough for them. So, well, we've got the chance. Just let people know, give 09 301 01 01 a call, and they can send you another bin. It's not going to cost you anything. So you can have several food scrap bins if that's what you need for your family. So that's a great service available, isn't it?

I think we're going to wrap this up shortly. And I just want to thank everyone who's been putting in the questions here. Hopefully, it's been of help for you to have your say and give your feedback.

If there's something you feel hasn't been addressed here. Again, go to the akhaveyoursay.nz/ourplan site. Lots more information there. There's also an opportunity to put questions into there. If we think there's a question here that should be answered through that, we'll do that. We haven't been able to get to all questions, but where we can, we'll answer those questions in the best way that we can.

So as I said, I just want to acknowledge that this is all about providing feedback for councillors and local board elected members so that they can make some final decisions on the annual plan and their local board plan. So, I know they really appreciate that. In fact, if Councillor Sayers is still there, I don't know if you want to say a couple of wrap up words.

[Video: Councillor Greg Sayers appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Councillor Greg Sayers

Yeah, thank you very much, Mark. I've been listening very intently along with the other elected members who are online. And there's been some excellent questions asked. Very helpful.

Just around the UAGC, I think there's probably enough political will that that will be looked at the next year's long-term budget. So people might want to just keep their powder dry and perhaps submit next year on that one. But you are more than welcome to make submissions now.

And things like the roaming dogs and the rail crossings are all available to give feedback on. So we would appreciate hearing all the ideas from the people online.

Thank you, Michael, for fielding those questions and answering the way that you have. I hope it's been helpful to those online. I'm sure it has been. And to everyone who's participated and taken the trouble on their evening to dial in because you care about Auckland, thank you very much.

We, as elected members, on behalf of my colleagues, would like to thank you for doing that. Thank you and kia ora, good night.

[Video: The screen shows the 'We’re getting on with it' and 'Our Plan' banners along with the five-cartoon people.]

[Video: Mark Reynolds appears on video on the top-right of the screen.]

[Voice] - Mark Reynolds

Thank you, Councillor Sayers. And thank you, Michael. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a manager. So well done tonight with all of those questions, some of which were quite tricky.

So again, thanks to everyone, whether you're here live or whether you might be listening to this recording. Don't keep your powder dry. Give feedback, give it during this opportunity, and there will be future opportunities on the long-term plan.

So, thanks all. I'm just going to wrap this up now and just finish with a karakia.

[Video: The next screen has text that says, 'Karakia'. Under this is a table with two headings that say, 'Te reo Māori' and 'English', with the lines of the karakia in Te Reo Māori and its English translation underneath.

On the second row, under the Te Reo column, it says, 'Unuhia, unuhia' and in English it says, 'Release, release'. Then, 'unuhia ki te uru tapu nui' and, 'release us from this sacred state'. Then, 'kia wātea, kia māmā, te ngākau' and, 'to clear and set free the heart'. Then, 'te tinana, me te wairua i te ara takatū' and 'body and spirit so that we are prepared'. Then, 'Koia rā e Rongo' and 'Let peace and humility'. Then, 'whakairia ake ki runga' and, 'be raised among us'. Then, 'Kia tina! TINA!” and, 'and be made manifest (indeed!)'. And then, 'Haumi e, hui e! TĀIKI E!' and 'Draw it together! Affirm! It is done!']

[Voice] – Mark Reynolds

So, unuhia unuhia unuhia, ki te uru tapu nui kia wātea, kia māmā te ngākau, te tinana, me te wairua i te ara takatū. Koia rā e Rongoe whakairia ake ki runga kia tina! Hui e! TĀIKE E! Thank you.

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