Victoria Crone to decide Monday on Auckland mayoralty

The Herald understands Victoria Crone will announce her decision at The Mind Lab at Unitec in Newmarket. Photo / Nick Reed

Auckland business boss Victoria Crone is expected to announce on Monday whether she will contest the Auckland mayoralty.

The Herald understands Crone will announce her decision at The Mind Lab at Unitec in Newmarket.

The Xero managing director is widely expected to put her hat in the ring with backing from National Party heavyweights, including former president Michelle Boag.

She has ranked the city's biggest challenges as rates rises, traffic and housing and wants Auckland to examine driverless buses and car technology to ease road congestion.

Crone is also seeking election for a board role on Contact Energy.

At a shareholders meeting in Wellington yesterday (Wednesday) she faced a question relating to her consideration of a bid for the Auckland mayoralty next year and whether she could commit fully to Contact, given her role at Xero.

She said she would be making a decision on a mayoral bid in the next week and that she had discussed with the Contact board that "if something were to happen", Contact would remain her "top priority". Xero was "very comfortable" with her taking the Contact directorship, she said.

If she stands for the mayoralty, Crone will square off against Labour MP Phil Goff.

Other mayoral candidates include Orakei Local Board member Mark Thomas, right-wing candidate Stephen Berry and activist Penny Bright.