Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown during Auckland Council inauguration ceremony for the new council, held at the Auckland Town Hall. Photo / Dean Purcell
Auckland must change from the world’s largest suburb to a global city, Mayor Wayne Brown said at his inauguration speech this evening.
After winning a second term with 180,000 votes – “four and a half full stadiums of Eden Park” – the Super City’s colourful mayor set out his plans for a second term.
“It is a great honour and privilege to be here at this rather long and weirdly organised event, but it’s an important one, thank you.
“I’m humbled to have received such strong support to finish the job.
“I see your vote as an endorsement to carry on fixing Auckland and prepare it for the future,” Brown said.
He was speaking in the Great Hall at the Auckland Town Hall, where he received the mayoral chains, and Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson and the 19 other councillors were sworn into office.
After being elected in 2022 on five policies – stop wasting money, finish big infrastructure projects, take back control of council organisations, speed up traffic and get more from the harbour – Brown outlined five new policies for his second, and final, term.
They are:
Brown said this last policy was an opportunity for the Government to start treating Auckland with the respect it is due.
The mayor delivered several pointed messages to the Government, noting the upcoming general election and urging the Government to recognise Auckland’s strategic importance.
“The Government is pushing us to have more greenfields, but, other than Drury, that’s not going to happen.
“We must change Auckland from the world’s largest suburb to a global city. It’s already embarrassingly known as the city of sprawl. It’s not economical and it’s not environmental. I want an efficient, green city,” Brown said.
The mayor also reiterated his message to Wellington for a bed night levy, which Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and ministers have refused to agree to.
“We will get it. It makes sense for a global city. I had a chuckle yesterday when [new Wellington Mayor] Andrew Little announced that he wants one for Wellington. Watch this space,” said Brown.
The mayor also cast his mind back to the major flooding events of 2023, saying the city, including himself, wasn’t prepared.
“But we weathered the storm in more ways than one … Three years on, we’ve made improvements. Weather forecasters have now improved, so much so that they have predicted [all] of the last three downpours. Our emergency management is now better.
“Our new plan change will stop the building of homes on floodplains, and we have a future fund to provide help for the next disaster,” Brown said.
The inauguration, attended by the 21 elected members and their families, council officials and dignitaries, was a mix of formal proceedings and multicultural performances.
The evening began with the pūtātara call and kaikaranga from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to welcome attendees, followed by karakia and mihi. Ngāti Tamaoho then responded.
Following the swearing in and Brown’s speech, there were performances by the Samoan cultural performance group Tatau Manaia, Rangitoto College’s Chinese Traditional Dance Club and up-and-coming vocalist Temaleti Tupou singing the national anthem.
It was extra special for the five new councillors around the council table this term:
The full council by wards:
Albany – Victoria Short*, John Watson
Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa – Julie Fairey, Christine Fletcher
Franklin – Andy Baker
Howick – Jo Burns*, Maurice Williamson
Manukau – Alf Filipaina, Lotu Fuli
Manurewa-Papakura – Daniel Newman, Matt Winiata*
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki – Josephine Bartley
North Shore – John Gillon*, Richard Hills
Ōrākei – Desley Simpson
Rodney – Greg Sayers
Waitākere – Shane Henderson, Ken Turner
Waitematā and Gulf – Mike Lee
Whau -–Sarah Paterson-Hamlin*
*New councillors
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