Council support

When we talk about 'council support' we mean how our central proposal for the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 aims to support the council to:

• provide support for our elected representatives to make decisions
• provide emergency management for the region
• manage the council’s investments, including Ports of Auckland.

Our central proposal for council support

Under our central proposal we will:

• provide support for elected members and local communities
• make sure we follow statutory (legal) requirements - which are relevant to meetings, information management and all council’s statutory services.

In addition, we will continue to work in partnership with emergency services and other organisations to deliver effective civil defence emergency management.

To help improve confidence in local government we will also invest in fit-for-purpose (effective) technology to improve our processes and make it cheaper to deliver our services.

This will help provide a quicker and easier experience for Aucklanders when engaging with us. With better use of technology, we can also further reduce operational running costs.

We also want to:

• increase opportunities and support for mana whenua and Māori communities
• improve the local business environment by working with our business associations.

The council is also required by specific levy legislation (laws around charges and fees) to make significant investments in cultural institutions and organisations that we do not own or govern. These include:

• Auckland War Memorial Museum
• Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT)
• Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board (ARAFB).

We will work with these organisations to modernise their legislation and governance relationship with the council.

Savings target

The central proposal has a savings target of $50 million by year three of the long-term plan. A contribution towards this would come from:

• supporting commercial revenue opportunities (making money from existing assets) or by charging higher fees and charges for council services
• moving faster towards a wider range of shared services by integrating teams across the Auckland Council group (Auckland Council, Ports of Auckland and council-controlled organisations like Auckland Transport and Eke Panuku)
• cost savings identified by elected members through annual service and financial performance reviews.

We will also set a target for selling surplus (excess) property assets of $300 million over 10 years in line with our savings plan.

Highlights of our central proposal for council support

Under our central proposal we will:

• share more services by integrating teams across the Auckland Council group to provide a more efficient way of working
• increase funding for Māori outcomes by $3 million each year from year four of the long-term plan, to a total of $171 million over 10 years
• review our partnerships with mana whenua iwi and Māori communities
• develop and deliver local board plans and their work programmes
• provide support for the regional strategies, policies, plans, bylaws and central government proposals
• identify, advise and protect heritage places for town centres and local areas
• renew, research and monitor sites and equipment
• work with our Business Improvement Districts and Business Associations to improve our local business environment and boost the regional economy
• make it easier for the public, including our diverse communities, to engage with the council
• provide the council with high-quality legal advice and strengthen the council’s risk management framework (to help us better understand and manage risks)
• make sure the council is ready and equipped to support an effective emergency response in times of crisis.

Trade-offs

We have developed other options to show you what to expect for council support should we pay less or pay more for it through our rates.

Pay more, get more

A pay more, get more scenario would mean:

• surplus (excess) property assets would be kept for possible future use or sold to invest in new facilities that are not currently included in the budget
• we would need to make less savings ($20 million) compared with the central proposal ($50 million) by year three of the long-term plan.

Rather than reducing services, we could achieve this scenario by focusing on items like:

• better back-office (administration and support) efficiencies, including making quicker progress on sharing services across the council group
• continue the 'value for money' programme to deliver services more efficiently beyond programmes already planned. Visit the Local Government Act 2002, section 17A Delivery of services to learn more about how we review the cost-effectiveness of our services and if they meet the needs of communities.

Pay less, get less

A pay less, get less scenario would mean:

• setting an asset sales target of $300 million over three years instead of the 10 years under the central proposal
• we would have to reduce operational costs a lot more than under the central proposal
• we would have to do more extensive service level reviews (evaluating the performance and quality of services), and reducing some to legally required minimum levels.

The most significant outcomes for a pay less, get less scenario would include reductions to:

• governance support
• support for developing strategies, plans and policies and making sure they are implemented
• support for the additional Māori outcomes funding in the core proposal
• meeting minimum requirements for heritage programmes
• non-statutory (not legally required) financial reporting, such as less support for local boards.

You should know

The information on this page is an edited version of the proposed Long-term Plan 2024-2034 Consultation Document.

For more information about our proposals for council support, see page 50-52 of the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 Consultation Document [PDF 17MB].