Collective Response to Auckland Council Budget 2023-24

Inspiring Communities and other community partners are supporting submissions and collective kōrero on Auckland Council’s 2023-2024 draft budget which includes drastic cuts to a wide range of community services, activities, events and funding support. In the week of 13 March, Inspiring Communities, Community Waitakere, Auckland North Community and Development – ANCAD and Volunteering Auckland worked together to host a number of online and in person conversations with others from across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Inspiring Communities’ Denise Bijoux also presented a powerful collective statement to Council’s governing body on March 27^th.  See below for her presentation notes which focused on why Council investment in communities and community infrastructure is essential for Auckland’s resilience and local people’s ability to live good lives.

What Next

While the formal Council submission process closed on March 28^th (with a record 28,850 online responses!), work is still needed to promote and strengthen the case for sustained Council investment in its diverse communities.

If you’re keen to know more and/or feed into the next phase of regional kōrero, please email kiaora@inspiringcommunities.org.nz and we’ll link you in.

Key collective messages about Auckland Council’s Draft Budget

• This budget does not grow or sustain wellbeing. Cuts in the annual budget as proposed will be irreversible in many areas and will undermine how well the city and its people flourish.
• Council investment needs to support Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities.
• Council investment needs to improve equity across locations and among population groups
• We are one city with diverse needs, challenges, strengths and opportunities so Locally Driven Initiatives and Asset Based Services must be funded.
• Sustain and invest in internal systems, processes and staff too, to leverage wider investment from central government, philanthropy and business as well as existing community strengths. Key roles for Council are to partner, broker, navigate and build capacity as well as offering funding. 
• No cuts to funding or increased charges for community groups (direct and indirect, such as increasing building maintenance fees).
• Limited increases in fees and charges, such as entry to swimming pools. 
• Borrow; don’t freeze targeted rates; consider further targeted rates such as those that can support community initiatives; increase property rates; don’t sell airport shares
• Invest in climate mitigation and adaptation; disaster preparedness, response and recovery. 
• This budget does not grow or sustain wellbeing. Cuts in the annual budget as proposed will be irreversible in many areas and will undermine how well our city and the people in it flourish.
• Council investment needs to support Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities.
• Council investment needs to improve equity across locations and among population groups
• We are one city with diverse needs, challenges, strengths and opportunities so Locally Driven Initiatives and Asset Based Services must be funded.
• Sustain and invest in internal systems, processes and staff too, to leverage wider investment from central government and business as well as existing community strengths. Key roles for Council are to partner, broker, navigate and build capacity as well as offering funding. 
• No cuts to funding or increased charges for community groups (direct and indirect, such as increasing building maintenance fees).
• Limited increases in fees and charges, such as  entry to swimming pools. 
• Borrow; don’t freeze targeted rates; consider further targeted rates such as those that can support community initiatives; increase property rates; don’t sell airport shares
• Invest in climate mitigation and adaptation; disaster preparedness, response and recovery.