Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown are working together to address Auckland's issues. Photo / Alex Burton
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown are working together to address Auckland's issues. Photo / Alex Burton
Simeon Brown emphasises his role in addressing Auckland’s key issues at a national level.
He highlights successful deals on Watercare and Auckland Transport with Mayor Wayne Brown.
Brown aims to unlock economic growth through regional deals, inviting proposals for 30-year visions.
As the Minister for Auckland, Simeon Brown sees his role as making sure the key issues facing the city are addressed at a national level in Cabinet. It also means advocating for those issues across other ministerial portfolios.
“A third of the population lives here. It is a huge partof the economy — 38% of GDP. It’s our international city,” he told the Herald.
“My job is to ensure we deliver what Auckland needs, so it can continue to grow and have a prosperous future for those people who choose to call this part of New Zealand home.
“Enabling Auckland’s growth is fundamental to our Government’s wider agenda of growing the economy. We know that what matters for Auckland matters for New Zealand.
“That’s why the Prime Minister appointed me as Minister for Auckland. It’s to ensure we’ve got a joined-up, coordinated approach to the key issues facing Auckland.
“That means economic growth, restoring law and order, delivering public services and infrastructure, all of those are critical, not just for Auckland, but for New Zealand.”
This means working with Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.
The Central Interceptor, a super-sized wastewater tunnel 16km under Auckland between Herne Bay and the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant, is costed at $1.67b.
Both Mayor Brown and Minister Brown say they have a great working relationship. They have successfully negotiated a series of major issues in the nearly 18 months since he became Minister for Auckland, including a deal on Watercare.
“We managed to secure long-term investment in Auckland’s water infrastructure. It’s one of the reasons Ghella, the company building the Central Interceptor wastewater project and digging major tunnels under the city, decided to keep its tunnelling machine in New Zealand. We’ve given them confidence that there’s a pipeline of water infrastructure work.”
Another area where the minister worked with the mayor was on reforms to Auckland Transport. “The deal we made will enable Auckland Council and the Government to work more closely on the long-term infrastructure plan needed for transport in the city. It means giving Auckland Council much more say over transport outcomes.
The two haven’t agreed on everything. One point of contention was Brown’s decision to remove the Auckland Regional fuel tax.
“That was a commitment we made in the election campaign. It provides relief to Aucklanders when they fill up at the pump. The mayor and I have different views on that, but we continue to build on the relationship and deliver where we can.”
The transport portfolio was transferred to Chris Bishop in the Prime Minister’s recent Cabinet reshuffle, to give Brown sufficient leeway to concentrate on his new and very hefty portfolio — Health.
In his role as Local Government Minister, Brown announced in November all regions had been invited to submit proposals and work with Government to agree on 30-year visions and 10-year plans as part of a regional deal process.
He says the goal is to unlock economic growth, productivity, housing and infrastructure opportunities in the regions.
“We’ve said we’ll negotiate at least one deal by the end of the year.
“Auckland Council has put forward a proposal. Cabinet will consider it and decide which region will negotiate the first deal.”
Brown sees this as an opportunity for central and local governments to work more closely together on projects that will move the dial. Both central and local governments have funding and regulatory tools they can bring to the table, but he says the question is how the two can work together in partnership.
“Our deals over Watercare and Auckland Transport act as insights into what regional deals could be. They are not full regional deals, they’re not wide-ranging, but they demonstrate the kind of opportunities that could exist within regional deals across the country.”
The Minister for Auckland role is a new Cabinet portfolio.
Brown says that after more than seven years as a member of Parliament for an Auckland electorate, the new role has given him greater insight into the issues facing the entire region, the challenges of delivering for the entire city and what that means for the nation.
Labour has recently appointed Carmel Sepuloni to the shadow Auckland portfolio.
