Board spending cuts forecasted

Sharp funding cuts to community groups, events and environmental programmes look set to be imposed as Rodney Local Board strives to slash its spending by more than $920,000 in the next financial year. That’s the sum needed to meet the call for a cut of five per cent to Local Board operational spending made in December’s Mayoral Proposal, which outlined ways to plug a $295 million shortfall in Auckland’s annual budget.

Options for reducing the Rodney spend by $921,000 include cutting grants to community groups, reducing funding for community events such as Anzac ceremonies, A&P shows and Christmas parades, and reducing the opening hours of Warkworth Library to six days a week instead of seven. The Board is also looking at stopping subsidies for hall users and cutting funding to community workers who run youth activities, community workshops and events. All the options will be outlined in a consultation document that is due out for public feedback next month, which includes a drop-in session with Council staff on Friday, March 10 between 11am and 1pm, at Warkworth Library.

Board chair Brent Bailey said that although some local activities would need to be discontinued or significantly reduced, everything was on the table and it was important for people to let the Board and

Council know what was important to them.

“We need to know what you value the most, from our support to environmental programmes with pest control, planting and waste minimisation to arts, culture, events and community programmes,” Bailey says in the introduction to the consultation document. “Or do you want to ensure we can future-proof the development of future assets and capital works?”

He added that the existing financial challenges would only be worsened by the recent extreme weather events that caused so much flooding, slips and damage to local roads, homes and businesses, which Council and Auckland Transport were still having to contend with.

However, Bailey pointed out that it was only operational spending cuts that were being required at this stage, meaning that many Board projects would still proceed.

“With the proposed budget cuts not impacting capital spend, we will continue to respond to previous feedback to ensure our local parks, townships and public amenities are fit for purpose,” he said.

“We will seek to meet the demands of our growing communities, particularly youth, by providing improvements to skate parks and sporting infrastructure.” tank and a vege garden, solar panels (that unfortunately are tied to the grid). But for all our personal attempts at selfsufficiency, resilience and to minimise our environmental footprint, these disasters show how vulnerable we all are, and how we have taken our standard of living and amenities for granted.

He said the transport targeted rate and other transport budgets would not be affected by the proposed cuts.

Those warming oceans lead to atmospheric rivers, worse cyclones, more loss. Nature bats last, and she bats hard. We haven’t got a moment to lose to appease and repair her. Prevention is better than cure.

Personal efforts are good for us, but not enough without action from governments to prevent worse. I don’t mean just rebuilding roads stronger, or bridges higher, I mean turning off the tap on climate emissions. Fonterra alone produces 19% of NZ’s emissions with little incentive to reduce them. Our government and those in other countries have to act on industrial climate pollution to save us all.