Our man on the spot @connorsharp.bsky.social is also in the room and watching today's budget debate closely. bsky.app/profile/conn...

Connor Sharp@connorsharp.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Don't know if I'll fully live blog Auckland Councils Budget and Performance Committee talking about rates rises and other stuff, but might put out the highlights. For context, the Mayoral proposal is of 7.9%, signaled three years ago, and has significant savings already.

See also @juliefairey.bsky.social 's consistent work making it all public while also still being a great Councillor! bsky.app/profile/juli...

Julie Fairey (she/her)@juliefairey.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Today Auckland Council votes on the council budget for 2026/27, at the Budget & Performance Committee and then votes again at an extraordinary Governing Body meeting immediately after. Chair has said he's just waiting for a few more councillors who are "coming up the road" - we do have quorum.

Today Auckland Council votes on the council budget for 2026/27, at the Budget & Performance Committee and then votes again at an extraordinary Governing Body meeting immediately after. Chair has said he's just waiting for a few more councillors who are "coming up the road" - we do have quorum.

It's Tuesday and at Auckland Council that means Committee of the Whole (COW) day, and today that COW is Transport and Infrastructure Delivery (TID). Kick off is at 10am. I'm not in the room today as I'm sick with a cold, so won't be able to do roll calls as well as usual. Chair has given... 1/n

Today's Auckland Council committee meeting is the Governing Body (mayor plus councillors minus Houkura reps). Start time is 10am in Akl Town Hall. You can see the agenda and watch along here: aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/meeti... Or on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/c/AucklandCo... 1/n

Auckland Council's Committee of the Whole today is Transport & Infrastructure Delivery (aka TID), starting 10am. It's quite a short agenda, relatively speaking, so likely to be done by early afternoon (CEO has booked a confidential briefing for us at 1pm). Items incl: - Public input... 1/n

This has to be our @juliefairey.bsky.social . She is excellent!

Rob Isaac@rmi.bsky.social · 6mo ago

NZ has an (excellent) prominent local body politician who makes a point of live-posting council meetings: a huge amount of extra work, but also a very clear lens on how fundamentally lazy and ill-prepared a lot of representatives are at that level.

Mōrena folks, today's Keeping up with the Councillors is the Governing Body's March meeting - lots of big issues on the agenda, in particular a vote on the future of Western Springs Stadium which has drawn a large crowd in the gallery. I will be skeeting here as we go along. /1

A conversation got me thinking about how much I appreciate the mahi of @juliefairey.bsky.social in posting the minutiae of Auckland council proceedings. Remember, doing such requires quite a bit of energy & effort on top of the things that are actually part of her job, but she does so regardless.

We're in Transport & Infrastructure Delivery Committee today with at the start 11 committee members in the room - Chair Baker, Turner, Fuli, Gillon, Winiata, Tukerangi, Henare, Simpson, Fairey (me), Filipaina, Williamson, Sayers. Online are Newman, Bartley and Short. Henderson just arrived too. 1/

Mōrena folks, we are in Transport & Infrastructure Delivery Committee (aka TID) today, just started - in the room at the start are Cr Baker (chair), Henderson (deputy), Simpson, Burns, Fairey (me), Filipaina, Williamson, Watson, Fuli, Paterson-Hamlin, Gillon, Winiata and Member Henare (Houkura)...

20 years later, Councillor Goldsmith (now Minister) finally got his wish, he gets to see homeless people arrested. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

I knew it would be bad but this is draconian - note it is for anyone 14 years and over and it will be a $2k fine for people with no money so instead they will go to prison. It thus becomes move on to prison. This is not a solution to homelessness. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/governmen...

Watch: 'It needs to stop' - Police given new powers to clear beggars and rough sleepers

Breaching a move-on order may lead to a $2,000 fine or three months in jail.

nzherald.co.nz

Mōrena and welcome back to Auckland Council for 2026! First committee meeting of the day today and it's Governing Body. We are waiting to start and at the moment have most councillors in the room, just that start of the school year catch-ups delaying us.

Thanks to Jessica Hopkins for covering the elected member survey highlighting abuse towards politicians in local govt, & asking me about it. It's way worse for others too. I hope by talking about this we can change this culture. (Limiting replies on this for obv reasons!)

'It just seems cruel': Councillor shocked by comments after cycling accident

Councillor Julie Fairey has become accustomed to abusive comments - but she was still stunned.

rnz.co.nz

Looking after people and places in Waitematā - new Chair of the Local Board @alexbonham.bsky.social shares her inauguration speech cityvision.org.nz/news/chair-a...

Chair Alex Bonham: Looking After People and Places in Waitematā — City Vision

Chair Alex Bonham outlines her vision for Waitematā Local Board: that thoughtful planning, community-led solutions, and collaboration can build a city that is inclusive, climate-resilient, and cultura...

cityvision.org.nz

Sweet vindication after the nasty culture war #bikelash election 3 yrs ago. Turns out communities do want safe streets & cyclelanes. Not the complete result we wanted but very happy to have been part of a campaign built on positive progressive policies with a great group of candidates #nzpol

City Vision@cityvision.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Celebrating our wins! Being trusted by the residents of both Waitematā and Albert Eden local boards to hold a majority, topping the councillor poll in Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa and retaining seats in Puketāpapa and on the PLT #nzpol cityvision.org.nz/news/positiv...

Celebrating our wins! Being trusted by the residents of both Waitematā and Albert Eden local boards to hold a majority, topping the councillor poll in Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa and retaining seats in Puketāpapa and on the PLT #nzpol cityvision.org.nz/news/positiv...

Positive progressive platform delivers for City Vision  — City Vision

City Vision has regained the majority on the Albert-Eden and Waitematā local boards after successfully running on a vision for a thriving, inclusive and liveable Auckland. In further success for the ...

cityvision.org.nz

Worth pointing out that, in an election dominated by "heritage" and "character" concerns, @juliefairey.bsky.social topped the poll in the local ward, and @cityvision.bsky.social have a majority on the local board. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/interacti...

How high-rise living could transform Auckland: Explore interactive & see way new rules may shape skyline

A flyover motion graphic shows how one popular suburb could develop under density move.

nzherald.co.nz

This is really great news. City Vision (Labour, Greens & independents) has flipped two local boards. This is a win for progressive policies. Communities want climate action, street improvements, safe speeds and bike lanes

City Vision@cityvision.bsky.social · last yr.

The preliminary result is now out. We're really delighted to have secured the majority on the Albert-Eden Local Board with the election of Michelle Thorp voteauckland.co.nz/en/2025-loca...

The preliminary result is now out. We're really delighted to have secured the majority on the Albert-Eden Local Board with the election of Michelle Thorp voteauckland.co.nz/en/2025-loca...

From the City Vision whānau, we are deeply grateful for all the support. We have amazing volunteers who are part of the movement for a more liveable, safe, and connected Auckland. This election is dedicated to Robert Gallagher, who led the City Vision kaupapa with wisdom & strength for so long.

Local elections live: Decision day 2025

Local elections live: Decision day 2025

Rolling updates from across the motu at the local elections marathon reaches its final leg....

thespinoff.co.nz

#Auckland there's a heap of places to drop off voting papers right up until midday TODAY Your vote matters to secure progressive local boards & a council that supports #climateaction #safestreets #affordablehousing #TeTiriti No papers? Make a special vote voteauckland.co.nz/en/informati...

The Government of New Zealand has made a new tourism ad and it's surprsingly honest and informative!

Honest Government Ad | Visit New Zealand!

YouTube video by thejuicemedia

youtube.com

Our candidates are upfront about their values and what they stand for. They respond to surveys in their own words referring to agreed policies cityvision.org.nz/policies

Policies — City Vision

cityvision.org.nz

Marc Daalder@marcdaalder.bsky.social · last yr.

Act Local candidates provided identical responses to some of Newsroom's open-ended survey questions, suggesting they had coordinated or been instructed to reply a certain way. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/08/p...

It's local election eve! 🎅 You have until noon tomorrow to pop your ballot in the box. Every vote matters, and shapes how our city grows over the next three years. 🙏 While we wait for electoral elves to tot up the results, enjoy our regular Friday roundup of stories that caught our eye this week...

Weekly Roundup 10-October-2025 - Greater Auckland

It’s local government election eve – last chance to get your votes in before noon on Saturday 11 October! Voting is valuable. As Hayden Donnell puts it in his famously witty way,

greaterauckland.org.nz

Still time to get your ballots in for the Auckland Local Elections! Although you need to drop them off at drop boxes now! And if you want positive policies and action, vote City Vision!

I voted, my local supermarket had a collection point