Long-term plan draws record community response

The consultation on Aucklands Long Term Plan (LTP) 2024-2034 has attracted around 28,000 public comments, the largest number of submissions to date for an Auckland Council LTP.

The month-long Long Term Plans consultation closed on 28 March, during which Aucklanders had their say on options and trade-offs to deliver activities and services for Auckland over the next decade.

Auckland Council chief executive Phil Wilson said it was great to have heard from so many communities through individual submissions, community groups and business feedback.

In total, we received an incredible 27,978 comments from a large cross-section of Aucklanders representing a wide range of communities,” says Mr Wilson.

“Of course there is always a mix of views, but all feedback will be considered as part of ongoing discussions about the plan, before it is finalized by the end of June.

The submissions will be invaluable to the governing body and local boards as they consider options for services, investments and activities across the region, before the governing body approves the final Long Term Plan.

Submission comments show a wide range of views on the proposed options. In total, feedback was received from 22,079 individuals, 391 organisations, 14 mana whenua and nine other Mori organizations and 5485 pro-forma responses.

The Long Term Plan consultation document set out a central proposal covering a wide range of hot topics from transport, drinking water and stormwater, to parks and community, city and local development, environmental management and economic development.

The consultation document also set out alternative options to pay more, get more or pay less, get less than the central proposal.

Of the individual submissions, 37 per cent supported a do-less approach, 34 per cent supported the central proposal and 20 per cent favored doing more. The rest presented other or I didn't know.

Organizations were 21 percent in favor of doing less, 36 percent supported the central proposal, 24 percent preferred to do more. The rest presented other or I didn't know.

Feedback from mana whenua and Mori organizations saw one mana whenua organization favor doing less, three supported the central proposal (one mana whenua and two Mori organizations), two mana whenua organizations preferred to do more and a further seven submitted (three mana whenua and four Mori organizations). Pro-forma feedback saw 99 percent in favor of a less approach.

Of the priority areas of the Long Term Plans, transport and water were identified as the highest priorities for greater investment. City and local development, as well as economic and cultural development, attracted a greater number of submissions.

Auckland Future Fund Proposal saw 43 percent of individual submitters to this question in favor of the proposal, along with 37 percent of organizational responses that were in support.

On the other hand, the proposal would see the council transfer all of the council's remaining Auckland International Airport Ltd shares to the fund and enable a fund manager to sell one or all of those shares, without 35 per cent of individual submissions for this question and 29 percent of organization submissions as not continuing.

Of the pro forma responses, 99 percent submitted to proceed with the proposal. Three management organizations presented against the proposal, one in favor and the other, along with four Mori organizations who presented the others.

Proposal for leasing the port: of those submitters who responded to the proposal to lease Auckland Harbor for an upfront payment into the future fund, 38 percent of individuals and 31 percent of organizations were in favor. However, 42 per cent of individuals and 36 per cent of organizations preferred the council group to continue operating the port.

The proposal to move port operations to Captain Cook and Marsden wharves to enable new public facilities saw 53 per cent of individuals and 45 per cent of organizations coming forward in favour.

Fewer individuals supported the transfer of Bledisloe Wharf (45 per cent of responses to this were against, while 35 per cent supported the transfer). However, organizations were more divided with 33 percent of organizations supporting the transfer, while 33 percent were against it.

North Harbor Stadium Proposal Applicants saw able to choose multiple options. The result was that 33 percent of the individual respondents who answered this preferred to keep the stadium as it is; 33 percent were in favor of considering the redevelopment of the stadium site; and 12 percent chose neither option but chose to change operational management.

The pro forma feedback showed that 100 percent prefer to keep the stadium area as it is and 99 percent are in favor of changing the operational management. Mori were divided on the stadium proposal by a non-Mane organization when it was chosen to keep the stadium as it is; two prefer to consider redevelopment (one mana whenua and one other); two for changing operational management (one mana kurua and one other) and six choosing another or don't know (three mana kurua and three others).

The central proposal of the Long Term Plans included an increase in the proposed rates for the average residential property value of 7.5 percent in the first year (2024-25); 3.5 percent in the second year (2025-26) and 8 percent in the third year (2026-27).

Pay less, get less and pay more, get more options, the proposed rates increase between 3.5 percent and 14 percent.

Public comments will be considered by Auckland Council's Governing Body and local boards during April/May. The Governing Body will approve the final plan on June 27, taking into account public comments and input from local boards.

Councilors will consider other factors in their decision-making, such as any new information and advice on the advantages, disadvantages and impacts of proposals and options, together with the council's role in representing communities whose views may not be were expressed through the public consultation process. .

To see Summary of the feedback reportClick here
To see Summary of consultation commentsClick here

To see Consultation proposal for the long-term plan AND feedback from the entire community, local board and interest groupsgo to ahaveyoursay.nz/ourplan.

-Ends-

Note from editors:
Not every submitter in the Long Term Plan answered every question. Therefore, the percentages referred do not refer to all individuals or all organizations, only those that responded in each case.

In addition, sometimes we receive feedback through a platform created by an external organization or using a model response prepared by an external organization, we refer to this as pro-forma feedback. As with all feedback, pro-forma feedback should be considered with an open mind, and it is up to decision makers to determine the weight they give this feedback.

In summary

Comments on the presentation of the long-term plan

• 27,978 comments received:

• Out of 15,954 individual submissions in the general direction of Long Term Plans:

  • 37 percent were in favor of the do less approach

  • 34 percent supported the central proposal

  • The favored 20 percent make more

  • 4 percent chose the others

  • 5 percent don't know.

• Of the 259 organizations that submitted to the general direction of the Long-Term Plans:

  • 21 percent were in favor of the do less approach

  • 36 percent supported the central proposal

  • A favored 24 percent make more

  • 13 percent chose others

  • The selected 7 percent do not know.

• 13 Mori subjects presented for the general direction of the Long-Term Plan:

• Pro forma answer:

Do more vs do less

The Long Term Plan proposal set out options and compromises for seven areas of council-funded services and activities: transport, water, town and local development, environment and regulation, parks and community, economic and cultural development and council support.

• Shipping: 44 percent of individual respondents supported doing more, 36 percent were in favor of the central proposal and 20 percent doing less.
• Water: 42 percent of individual respondents supported doing more, 47 percent were in favor of the central proposal and 11 percent doing less.
• Environment and setup: 36 percent of individual respondents supported doing more, 39 percent were in favor of the central proposal and 25 percent doing less.
• Parks and community: 34 percent of individual responses to this supported doing more, 40 percent were in favor of the central proposal and 26 percent doing less.
• Council support: 24 percent of individual respondents supported doing more, 48 percent were in favor of the central proposal and 28 percent doing less.
• Economic and cultural development: 22 percent of individual respondents supported doing more, 37 percent were in favor of the central proposal and 41 percent doing less.
• City and local development: 21 percent of individual respondents supported doing more, 39 percent were in favor of the central proposal and 40 percent doing less.

Note from editors:
Not every submitter in the Long Term Plan answered every question. Therefore, the percentages referred do not refer to all individuals or all organizations, only those that responded in each case.

In addition, sometimes we receive feedback through a platform created by an external organization or using a model response prepared by an external organization, we refer to this as pro-forma feedback. As with all feedback, pro-forma feedback should be considered with an open mind, and it is up to decision makers to determine the weight they give this feedback.