Auckland Council have approved their latest annual budget which outlines what they will be spending money on, the services they will provide and where savings will be made. This is the first budget approved under mayor Wayne Brown which has a $375 million budget gap needing to be filled. Over 500 jobs across several organisations have been lost in an attempt to help with this cost saving. Another 200 more jobs are on the line after the budget has been finalised. Services that have been reduced include noise complaints, mowing schedules, public rubbish bins and in-person research assistance in libraries.
Auckland Council also announced the rates will increase by 7.7 percent and the council will sell seven percent of their stake in Auckland Airport.
Although spending will be reduced in some areas, $3.2 billion will be invested into building or buying new assets for the regions long term future. These areas include improving public transport, increasing the regions sports field capacity, upgrading local facilities, urban regeneration and acquiring more land for parks and open spaces. In addition, over $3.7 billion will be spent providing services for the region.
For the full story by RNZ, click here.
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