Cuts loom just as community proves its worth

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Toni van Tonder talks about the fraught funding choices ahead after local heroes stepped up to help their fellow residents through tough times

It’s been a dreadful start to the year. To all those who have been badly impacted by the devastating weather events, our thoughts are with you. The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area was badly impacted by the flooding, with massive cliff-face erosion, homes under water and properties red-stickered.

On the North Shore there were 914 rapid building assessments for the floods, 103 for the cyclone and a total of 68 homes red-stickered. It has been truly devastating for some, and I’ve met families who have lost everything – and I mean absolutely everything.

I met one family from Sunnynook, a mother with two sons, who told me of their swim over their 1.8m fence to safety. Another resident had to pass her newborn baby out the window to a stranger to be carried through flood waters.

We have lost lives.

The cyclone too left folk without power for long periods of time, and some of our most vulnerable people had to be relocated from homes that were no longer safe for them to be in. It has been hard.

What has been most astounding however, has been the community response. Neighbours and community groups have leapt into action, providing food, welfare support, daily checks and clean-up crews, sharing vital information and helping us, the elected members, understand the need on the ground so that we could respond in a coordinated way. Community is everything. that you understand what this means – our arts partners, our community houses, our restoration groups, our community coordinators, local events and our town-centre support will all be impacted. Public transport fares will increase, parks will be mown less frequently, and bins will be removed. Our libraries may need to close one day a week.

All options are on the table and if they weren’t considered, we’d be looking at a 12 per cent rates increase like Wellington City’s proposed rise. So now is a time for you to have your say.

Sadly, at a time when we’ve been reminded of the importance of community, Auckland Council is proposing a range of spending cuts to present a balanced budget for the next financial year. We’re short $300 million in annual operating costs and any cuts will not be for one year only. They will need to be enduring.

For the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board those implications represent a reduction of 60 per cent of the budget that we use to support our community groups and partners. At this stage, unless something shifts, we’re going to thank all the people who helped us out the most during this challenging time by offering up a funding cut.

I’m being quite blunt here, but it’s important