Deep pockets needed for city's wish list

Top rating is the Tank Farm development. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Auckland City mayor Dick Hubbard's $650 million "Outside the Square" idea for Aotea Square is on the outer with council officers, who rank it near the bottom of new projects for the city.

Officers have ranked 36 projects to help councillors decide on Thursday how much of $3.7 billion of new works over the next decade they want to pursue.

The report said rates would rise by 55 per cent over the next 10 years to fund just $600 million worth of new works and soar by 200 per cent to fund the full $3.7 billion. That would see the average rates bill of $1200 triple to $3600, taking the cost of council services to $70 a week.

Officers have ranked projects according to how they will meet the city's basic needs and move Auckland towards being a world-class city. Using these criteria, officers have given the "Outside the Square" project a low ranking. Mr Hubbard launched it last month on the back of the $50 million Civic carpark leaky-roof crisis. It included an underground street, outdoor entertainment areas and moving the library to the Aotea Centre.

Mr Hubbard was philosophical about the future of "Outside the Square", saying it may be possible to spend a little bit of money cleverly to start with. For instance, the council could make the new carpark roof high enough to build an underground street in future.

Other projects given a low ranking include swimming pools at Otahuhu and Avondale and a $40 million arts area behind the Auckland Town Hall.

Officers have given the tank farm waterfront development the top ranking and ratepayers are expected to contribute $160 million of the $350 million cost for parks, walkways and other public facilities. Small transport projects, such as local road improvements to the new legs of State Highway 20 and pedestrian improvements between the university and central city, are ranked second.

Other priorities are a ratepayer contribution of $100 million towards the $800 million revised eastern highway and improving security in the city with extra closed-circuit television cameras and improved lighting at a cost of $25 million.

Citizens & Ratepayers Now councillor and former finance committee chairman Doug Armstrong said the proposed rates increases over the next 10 years were outrageous.

He said the council should be "rock solid" about keeping rate increases to the level of inflation.

Act leader Rodney Hide said government in all its forms should be smaller and smarter.

"Local bodies needs to think harder about alternative funding and focus on core services. Local government has got plenty of resources to hassle ratepayers with dopey laws but no money for basic infrastructure."

The shopping list

Top 10 projects

* 1. Tank farm waterfront development - $350m.
* 2. Transport projects - $158m.
* 3. Stormwater improvements - $20m.
* 4. Property purchases and development - $197m.
* 5. Revised eastern highway - $800m.
* 6. Other waterfront projects - $85m.
* 7. Gulf island projects - $42m.
* 8. Marine events centre and Okahu Bay hardstand - $38m.
* 9. Close-circuit television network and other safety projects - $25m.
* 10. Westhaven marina open spaces - $20m.


Low-ranking projects
* Outside the Square - $650m.
* Zoo conservation centre and NZ precinct - $22m.
* Otahuhu and Avondale swimming pools - $18m.
* Arts precinct behind Auckland Town Hall - $40m.