Auckland Central Green MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to all Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland based Members of Parliament requesting their urgent attention to Auckland Council’s unprecedented slash-and-burn proposals.

“Tāmaki Makaurau is staring down the barrel of losing critical environmental, cultural, community and climate infrastructure and we’ve heard next to nothing from Auckland MPs in our two larger parties in Parliament,” said Swarbrick.

“Some have held public meetings on bus cancellations, while others have lamented library or CAB closures on social media, but so far only the Greens have organised to inform communities of what’s at stake and rallied submissions.

“It’s time to connect the dots. Mayor Brown has declared he wants to hand back costs to Government, meaning whatever comes of these Council Budget proposals, there’s intention to substantially impact future Government Budgets of any stripe.

“Council are planning to slash more than a thousand buses a day, while also increasing fares, closing 32 Citizens Advice Bureau, gutting Local Board funding, ripping out a third of public bins from parks and so much more austerity-driven destruction we’ll never get back if sacrificed.

“All local MPs know that a lot of our electorate work involves working with Council. These proposals will make that job so much harder. It’s time for some cross-Parliament leadership.”

Swarbrick has requested Auckland MPs use their platforms to encourage and drive community submissions, and a Parliamentary cross-party hui during the next sitting week to establish common ground.

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