Tuesday 10 October, 2017

Auckland Mayor to make working trip to Europe

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff will travel to Belgium, the United Kingdom and France, for a working visit from Tuesday 10 October returning to the office on Thursday 26 October.

Mr Goff has been invited to attend a high level mayoral conference in Paris by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg whose foundation and other sponsors are meeting the cost of travel and accommodation there.

In Belgium, the Mayor will be part of the official New Zealand delegation participating in the centenary commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele, World War I. As part of commemorations, the mayor will be presenting a bronze statue of 1905 All Black captain Dave Gallaher (“The Originals”) to the people of Flanders on behalf of Auckland.

Dave Gallaher was one of 492 Aucklanders who died in the Battle of Broodseinde, a successful offensive in the lead-up to the Battle of Passchendaele. The statue, sculpted by Malcolm Evans, is a smaller replica of the statue of Dave Gallaher that stands outside Eden Park.

Mayor Phil Goff said, “Every New Zealand family is touched by World War I in some way and my family is no different, having lost a great uncle on the Western Front whose grave I will visit.”

From Belgium, the Mayor will travel to London, England to meet with the incoming London Lord Mayor, William Russell, senior leaders and Greater London Authority officials from investment, urban planning and transport organisations. He will also be hosted by the Prince of Wales Foundation to discuss affordable housing and urban regeneration. Topics will include congestion charging and value uplift created by public transport infrastructure.

After London, the Mayor will travel to Paris, France to attend the CityLab conference: Urban Solutions to Global Challenges. Hosted by the Bloomberg Foundation, The Atlantic and the Aspen Institute, the conference brings together mayors from top cities around the world to discuss innovation and urban governance.

“London is an incredibly diverse city that faces similar challenges of housing unaffordability, congestion and environmental harm brought about by huge population growth. There is much Auckland can learn from how London has funded investment in infrastructure and public transport, and managed growth.

“Citylab brings together mayors from around the world to discuss innovative ways to tackle growth, environmental protection and urban planning,” Mayor Phil Goff said.

Mayor’s Itinerary

Wednesday 11 October 2017
· Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing commemorative service hosted by New Zealand

- Mayor will lay a wreath on behalf of Aucklanders

Thursday 12 October 2017
· National Commemoration for Passchendaele

· Opening of the New Zealand Poppy Garden followed by tree planting

· New Zealand sunset service

· Presenting to the town of Zonnebeke a bronze Dave Gallaher statue by sculptor, Malcolm Evans, whose full sized statue of Gallaher stands outside Eden Park. The half metre high miniature will be presented to the people of Flanders on behalf of the people of Auckland.

Friday 13 October 2017 – Travel to London

Monday 16 October 2017
· Visit to New London Architecture and meeting with Chairman

- Urban design and better built environments

- View the live working model of London and possible Auckland application

· Visit ARUP Group and meeting with Director Richard de Cani

- Smarter transport pricing and congestion charging

- City wide planning and strategic planning

· Meeting with Mike Brown, Commissioner for Transport for London

- Delivering on the draft 25 year transport strategy

- Crossrail – using property value uplift to fund new public transport infrastructure

- Transport funding and reinvestment to deliver a good public transport experience

Tuesday 17 October 2017
· Meeting with incoming (2018) Lord Mayor of London William Russell

- Improving engagement with Asia Pacific

· Meeting with Antony Danaher, CEO of Capital Investment Office, UK Department for International Trade

- Infrastructure funding

- Value capture

- Attracting onshore and offshore investment into housing and transport infrastructure

· Meeting with Sir Terry Morgan, Chairman of Crossrail Ltd and Bond Street site visit

- How major construction of future infrastructure can be developed without bringing city to a standstill

- Private-public partnership for infrastructure

- How value capture was modelled for Crossrail

· Meeting with Keith Howells, Chairman of Mott McDonald - who are involved in a number of Auckland infrastructure projects including CRL

- PPP funding model for infrastructure projects

- Transport, affordable housing and storm water management projects

· Meeting with Sir Nicolas Grimshaw, Chairman of Grimshaw Architects and site visit of London Bridge station

- Transformation and expansion of existing infrastructure while in active use

- Sustainable and affordable expansion of infrastructure

Wednesday 18 October 2017
· Meeting Rt Hon Sir Jerry Matepaere

· Meeting with Hinduja Group

- Eco friendly public transport options

· Lunch with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Department for International Trade

- Infrastructure projects in rail, water and construction

- South East Asia, Australia, Australia and New Zealand markets

· Meeting with Richard Stafford, Director of Turner and Townsend

- Bus transit and rail tram train pilot

- Funding for both projects with central government buy-in

- Lessons learnt on cost management

· Meeting with Deputy Mayors Jules Pipe and James Murray

- Building alliances between Council, housing association, developers an businesses to build more affordable housing

- Improving private rental sectors

- Tackling homelessness

- Refreshing Master City Plan

Thursday 19 October 2017 – Friday 20 October 2017
· Prince of Wales Foundation programme on affordable housing and urban regeneration

- Presentations on challenges and response to:

§ housing affordability

§ apprenticeship schemes

§ estate regeneration programmes

- Site visit to Kings Cross Redevelopment and Highbury Gardens

Saturday 21 October 2017 – Travel to Paris
· Site visit to Eco-District, Clichy-Batignolles

- Urban redevelopment of former wasteland

Sunday 22 October 2017 – CityLab
· CityLab- Mayor’s Innovation Studio

- Orientation around city partnerships with industry with a focus on new, disruptive technologies

- Partnerships to promote the environment and combat climate change

Monday 23 October 2017 – CityLab
· Full agenda can be found here. Highlights include:

- Inclusive climate action

- Future of cities and sustainable development

- Affordable Housing

- Design based innovation

Tuesday 24 October 2017 – CityLab and depart for Auckland
· Full agenda can be found here. Highlights include:

- Inclusive mass transit

- Urban mobility

- Public art and civic identity

- Government innovation and Data

ends

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