Letter to Manukau - Issue 75
Friday, 3 July 2009 - Issue 75

After seven months of deliberation and debating, and listening to submissions from the community, we've finally completed our Long Term Council Community Plan (10-year Plan).

It has been a challenge for everyone to get their heads around the LTCCP but we're finally there. I prefer to describe the 10-year-Plan as our Budget. This Budget has been a challenging one to prepare because we're doing it under an imminent transition of our council into the new Auckland Council as well as preparing a plan for developing our city over a 10-year timeframe.

This is always a tough ask because we're debating potential capital development projects such as arts centres, reserve development and roads.

However, having said that I'm very pleased with the outcome of this 10 year planning round and in particular the extraordinary involvement of the community in the process. From memory we had something like 20,000 submissions. Most of those submissions were to do with the White Water Rafting proposal for the Telstra Pacific Events Centre but many took the opportunity to make submissions for various proposals to do with their own communities, within the wider city context.

Our council is committed to delivering a balance of strong investment into our community, and ensuring there is continued confidence in our business activity at a very difficult time and that it is matched with prudent financial management of our accounts. On the basis that we are delivering our rates this year at an increase of 2.8 per cent plus 1 per cent for the statutory requirement for the regional arts levy, it is, in my view, a pretty good balance of investment and management.

The community is getting a lot for its dollar. We've looked to ensure that each of the wards will receive significant projects within a three to five year time frame in particular. We have made commitments to a variety of projects, including the Rail station development from the main trunk line to Manukau city centre which will be complemented by a commitment from MIT to develop the early stages of a tertiary campus.

In Howick we are making a commitment to a significant upgrade to the Uxbridge community arts centre. We're also investing in such projects as the Maengamaengaroa Reserve, and $10 million upgrade of Otara Pools as well as continuing discussions on how we can deal with the Otara Lake.

Sports projects are getting significant support city-wide. We are supporting numerous projects, from the Papatoetoe recreation centre, to $750,000 for the development of Howick and Pakuranga netball association courts and parking as well as hockey fields at Lord Elsemore Park.

Mangere will have a new arts centre and the Mangere Gateway project will also get funding. Papatoetoe town centre can look forward to an upgrade. Manurewa is twice the size of other wards and we are looking at developing a sports complex as well as upgrading Manurewa netball and rugby clubs.

In the Botany-Clevedon ward we are making a significant commitment to the establishment of recreation facilities and skatepark at Barry Curtis Park. We are also looking at the development and vision for Clevedon township and will involve the community in a consultative process in regards to the township and how it deals with its wastewater challenges.

Our community often expresses its view about any increases in rates year on year but this summary gives a sense of what it is we are spending money on for the benefit of our communities and city, looking forward.

We are doing this in an environment where our water and wastewater is cheapest in region and our rates are lower than most in region. I'm comfortable with where we're at in terms of our balance and pleased with the path we're taking in developing a legacy and a community our children will be proud to inherit.

Have a good weekend.

Len Brown
Mayor of Manukau

ENDS

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