My Account
The Rodney Local Board is always looking for ways to make our budget go further through leveraging. This means identifying where our plans align with those of Council and central government and putting some skin in the game. This has proven successful on small and large scales. For example, when the Local Board supports a community project whose goals are bigger than they can fund alone. The Board can provide seed funding, together with a letter of support. This allows that organisation to apply for regional grants or to approach third-party funders.
The transport targeted rate was introduced to bring forward transport investment for Rodney that was not indicated in the 2018-2028 Long Term Plan. Since it started, we have introduced three new bus services, committed over $11 million to much needed footpaths and $3.7 million into the construction of the Warkworth Community Transport Hub. The pay-off is arriving already with Auckland Transport agreeing to take over the cost of running two of the bus services, which are meeting passenger targets.
Our Healthy Harbours and Waterways Fund, Forestry Ambassador programme, Restore East Rodney pest eradication plan, volunteer support programme, start-up funding for the Mahurangi River dredging, funding support for the Snells Beach to Warkworth walkway and work on the new Unsealed Road Improvements Programme, have all helped contribute to the case for much bigger central government investment. For example, the Government has provided funding to the tune of $9 million to help clean up the Mahurangi Harbour. We hope these same Local Board initiatives will assist Friends of Awa Matakanakana’s (FOAM) application for funding from the Ministry for the Environment to do similar work in the Matakana and Glen Eden Rivers.
Further, we look out for opportunities to seize on Growth Funds (from development contributions) by having shovel ready projects fully scoped for when those funds are available to our area, such as for the Kowhai Park to Showgrounds walkway.
The Local Board’s role is very different to that of Council. That’s why we, along with 19 other local boards, supported Auckland Council’s 10-year budget, which included a 5 per cent rates increase. This is very different to voting for a rates increase. Rates are only voted on by councillors and our position had no bearing on our councillors’ vote. No-one likes a rate increase, least of all me as a single home owner with a mortgage and earning well below the average wage. Knowing the rates increase was inevitable with majority councillor support indicated in advance, we saw our role as making the best of a bad situation and attempting to extract as much out of the budget as possible for Rodney, particularly on our key advocacy points.
It would be hypocritical to on the one hand request more investment into public transport for our fast growing areas of Kumeu, Milldale and Warkworth, more money for unsealed roads and an increased budget for maintenance, while on the other not supporting the budget needed to make that happen.
Beth Houlbrooke, Rodney Local Board
beth.houlbrooke@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
