October 30, 2024 • 14 mins
Auckland’s Mayor Wayne Brown has never shied away from telling us exactly what he thinks.
He’s waged war on council-controlled organisations, like EkePanuku and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, with proposals to abolish them altogether and bring their activities in-house.
He’s never thought twice in criticising who he calls the “weasels in Wellington” (or, central Government), and he’s also never shied away from voicing his concerns around Auckland Transport, which is currently dealing with a wave of violent attacks on drivers, and passengers.
Today on The Front Page, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown joins us to discuss these issues – ahead of his trip to China, where he hopes to put the City of Sails on the to-do list for investors.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineers: Paddy Fox, Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Cielda.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a
daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. Auckland's Mayor
Wayne Brown has never shied away from telling us exactly
what he thinks. He waged war on council controlled organizations
(00:26):
like Ekepinuku and Tatagi Auckland Unlimited, with proposals to abolish
them all together and bring their activities in house.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
He's never thought twice in criticizing who.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
He calls the weasels in Wellington or central Government, and
is also never shied away from voicing his concerns around
Auckland Transport, which is currently dealing with a wave of
violent attacks on drivers and passengers. Today, on the Front Page,
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown joins us to discuss these issues
ahead of his trip to China, where he hopes to
(00:58):
put the city of Sales on the do list for investors.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
First off, how was Brazil?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
You're off to China next as well? And how are
you going to get more Chinese investment in Auckland.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Well, they're kind of linked. Brazil and China are led
miles apart, but we suffer in New Zealand because the
member of the world is on a flat like that,
and we're always down this bottom corner down here, And
in America they save a bit of time by rolling
it back and they cut that bit off, and so
when they see a MEMP in America, we don't even exist.
And when we do exist, we think, well, we're separated
(01:36):
from the rest of the world, but in fact it's
the globe, and people forget that. In America, they still
have a flat out society. It's called TV. But the
shortest route from southern China to Brazil is if you
fly and land in Auckland and head off to Salpulo.
But as at the moment, no planes go there. And
I'm trying to encourage it to happen because the trade
between Brazil and China is four hundred and ninety billion.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
We want to cut of that.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
And if it comes through here, even if we only
get one percent of it, which we would do easily enough,
probably I'm looking at four or five percent of it.
One percent of it doubles the Auckland GDP. That's how
big this stuff is. And it's the sort of stuff
that I'm kind of in a unique position to probably
make it happen more than the government will, because the
government sort of a half pay aware of that, but
(02:22):
then be handed and a whole bunch of civil servants
in Willington nothing ever happens. And I know Brazil pretty well.
I've been going there for a long time, start off
with safing, but it gone into other things. And I
wrote a book called a five Minute Mba, which was
translated into Portuguese and becoming a best seller in Brazil.
So and I gave a copy of that to the
(02:43):
mirror of sal Paulo and to the vice president of
the sal Paula Origin, so it's kind of an interesting thing.
And then in China, I've been going there for a
long time with business, my own businesses and other ones,
so I know how to behave in both of those ones.
I've led business delegations to China, I've led them downe
to you, and now I've led one to Brazil, so
I know how to put the stuff together. The council,
(03:04):
we spend a whole lot of money on business development,
which doesn't develop any business at all. We've built a
television studio. We can't get rid of that lost money.
My predecessor did that. I wouldn't do stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
How confident are you that you're going to get that
route in place?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Well, I'm quite confident because I've now got an airline.
China Southern are quite keen to do this at the moment.
If you go from if you want to go to Brazil,
you have to fly lat Ham and they land in
San Diego. It's a nice flight to San Diego, and
then you get on a horrible, really small plane and
fly across the Andes to Brazil to South Paulo, and
it takes a long time and it's uncomfortable as momenteering,
(03:43):
and the flights are full.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
You can't even get on the damn things. So there's
a demand there already. And China Southern.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
We have five Chinese airlines flying into Auckland anyhow, and
China thousand is the biggest, is the biggest airline outside
America in the world, and they have three thousand flights
a day, which is hard to imagine.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
In terms of like having conversations with Chinese investors as well.
I know the government is keen to get more foreign
investment into the country.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Peter says, China is New Zealand's most important and complex
by lateral relationship. It's ten years since New Zealand signed
a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. Since then, It's exports
to China have doubled. China's ambassador said recently he hopes
that trade continues to flourish.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
China stands ready to work with New Zealand on the
basis and mutual respect, mutual benefit, none interference in each
others internal affairs, and constructive management of differences.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Maybe they can help pay for transport here, Wayne, Wasn't
the government's three year budget for transport in Auckland about
five hundred and sixty four million dollars less than you
guys hope for.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yes, it was, and we've kind of adjusted. We've believe
they are sharing because I've got control of the fine
answers here moderately. Will you know, we're not lifting our
rates by as much as anything like as much as
other cities. And that's despite the fact that I wanted
into a three hundred and seventy five million dollar lost
carefully concealed by my predecessor. So we're in quite good
(05:15):
order in that part of it there. And also there
is nearly two hundred thousand Chinese in Auckland, and.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
A lot of them come from Guangzhou.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
And we've got a thirty five year sister city arrangement
with Guangzhou. So I'm going to visit that that we
should respect these relationships. They're very important. And in China,
mayors of big stuff and I'm shijan Or mayor of
the largest in New Zealand, and that will be treated
with a fever to respect in China. And so you
can sometimes open doors. Even in Brazil, I was able
(05:45):
to meet the Vice President of the region and some
other people that did. In fact, the Minister of Foreign Trade.
He's a bloody good miniSTR. I've got to say I'll
get on well with Todd McLay. But he went to
some other things and I went to some things, different things,
and then we come to other and work together and
we're kind of and so there's a certain technique in
being comfortable in places like China and Brazil. It's a
(06:08):
bit like you get used to being on a Maria.
People who used to going on the Marai are used
to going and arow and people haven't been on Arab
who don't know what to do and China and Brazil
have their own behaviors and I'm comfortable with them. And
I speak hard in any words of Portuguese, despite the
fact that we got a book there. But I do
speak about of Chinese, not a lot, but enough. When
I open a speech, I always have two or three sentences,
(06:30):
not just one word, and that goes down very well.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
All of that stuff is relationship building.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Thirty five years of being involved with Ganjo, our city,
that is a very important thing. We're going to the
Shanghai city. I know quite well the Shanghai Import, export,
exhibition and trade, and so partially when I'm doing is
getting this flow between here and South America. And it's
also just using my contacts and doors that I open
(06:57):
to benefit those businesses that come with you. Like in Brazil.
We visited a firm there which is getting into aerospace,
and I'm going to put them together with Zeno back
here because they can be complementary. Everyone doesn't have to
re emit the wheel. It's been invented.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
If we look back at Auckland, I wanted to talk
to you about a couple of things back here in
terms of ten point six million dollars needed for the
broken pedestrian footbridge and the viaduct. A is it going
to be opened by Christmas? And B is that a
mismanagement by ek Pinuku it'd bit.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
To be bloody open by Christmas. You'd have to say
it hasn't been well managed over a period of time.
But on the other hand, we have had it in
Auckland of there's nothing so permanent as something called temporary,
and that was a temporary one built years ago and
it became permanent. They should have been thinking about that
earlier in the peace before they suddenly just got us
(08:02):
rusting a bit. Similarly, if you go down to Princess Wharfa,
is that weird looking cloud plastic building which is deteriorating
fast that was built fifteen years ago for two.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Years and still there.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
And so we've got to get in the habit of
if somebody is going to be temporary, we should finish
it and dump it in the interim period. While they've
been mucking around by spending a really an inordinately high
amount of money for repairing that bridge, I got to say, though,
we've got them to put in a temporary little ferry
that goes back because in force and I was down
(08:34):
there the other day and the people saying, we love
the ferry.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
We don't have the bridge now, so what's cheaper?
Speaker 3 (08:40):
You saying, well, the fairy's cheaper. But we've got them.
They're doing the bridge. We're quite good at moaning as
a country, and the people there moaning that's killing our
business because we don't have a bridge. They're actually not
on an island.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Or talking about CCO is what's the plan there?
Speaker 1 (08:56):
When are we getting rid of them?
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Last year would have been a good time. I can't
have to bring my counsel with me, and I have
to bring the government with me.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
AT which is a very widely disliked.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Organization and has adopted a very independent culture because it
was granted an independent status.
Speaker 7 (09:19):
In his own blestering letter to transport bosses, Wayne Ground
called disruptions unacceptable and omni shambles and said he could
use other words. He says Aucklanders have reached the end
of their patients.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
What's driving one of my actions here is that I
don't mind being criticized for things that I've actually done wrong.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
But I'm fed up.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
I've being criticized for things that I don't have much
control over, and I think what I'm wanting to have
is that turned into a delivery mechanism and get them
concentrating on delivering and the not concentrating it because they're
wondering into policy and things, which is really what the
Council should be doing. And so and I think I'm
working pretty well with Minister Simme and Brown over this
and I'm looking forward to quite a good result out
(10:06):
of this and some of the other things they're doing.
The CEO reform was one of the things that was
right at the top of the things I campaigned on,
and so people liked it. I went to three hundred
menis not one person said, oh, I know, I leave them.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
As they are.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
And so we have a lot of I don't like duplication,
but we're not any duplication. We have triplication. We have
quadruplication in some places. Everybody does events and in fact
the best events aren't even done by any of those
parts and pieces of the last Saturday I joined fifteen
thousand are the very happy people in the main street
of Ada who for the Oda Who Food Festival, which
(10:39):
half of the people on the council demon I was
on and it's the biggest food festival in the country.
They sold one hundred and twenty different food stalls months
before it happened. I just sold that snap overnight. Every
food person wanted to be there and it was fantastic.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
So with this CCO plan, have you got a timeline
or what kind of mechanisms do you have to work through? First?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Who you need to get on board to make that happen.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well, first of all, I have to get on board
the councilors that we need to do something about it,
and they are on board. We've got them on board encouragement,
but they are with regard to AT I do need
the government to work with me because it does have
a statutory position.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Well, speaking of Auckland transport, you haven't seen these figures,
but OIA figures released to Newstalk zb's Michael Sergel shows
that there were ninety three incidents a week on Auckland's
public transport in the year to August. That's an average
of thirteen a day, and in August alone, on one
train network alone, at reported twenty three assaults, nine robberies
(11:39):
or thefts.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Is that good enough?
Speaker 4 (11:42):
You want the real rus to do more? No?
Speaker 3 (11:46):
The question you meant is that bad enough, and it
is really bad, but it's a reflection of society is
just getting worse behaved everywhere. I mean, we've had people
shot and Ponsonby of all places, and badly at is reflecting.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
What's going on outside everywhere.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
We've got lots and lots of people catch the bus
until the driver the stuff off. You know, I'm going
to bash it. I'm not paying, you know, and you
think not good. So it just reflects society. Reading the
paper today, that's an enormous number of children went at
school last month. They're not going to grow up to
be doctors and engineers.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
And it is Auckland a safe city, do you reckon well?
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And relatively safe, you know.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I have just been to South Paulo and they took
me around in an arm and Range rover with it's
the bulletpro windows.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
But it's not as safe as I would like it
to be.
Speaker 7 (12:40):
Probably not that safe when I'm alone.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
I'm not too bad when I'm with friends and stuff,
but it's probably kind of getting a bit worse over
there is.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
Differently, when it gets past into dark, I do find
it a wee bit kind of looking over my shoulder
sometimes and there's always a few characters around, but I
generally find it really safe.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Lastly, I wanted just to do some quick fires with you, Mayor,
just because I know that you need to get packing
your bags first off.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Just yes or nose or really quickly.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
When's the open air saltwater swimming pool opening at the viaduct?
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Well, if that doesn't open and the same role, be
really annoyed.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
You'll be annoyed. When's I want to.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Swimm and that by the time the water's warm.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
When is Auckland getting a bed tax?
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Asked Minister Doocey.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Are you running in next year's local election?
Speaker 3 (13:30):
As distinct possibility but not saying this or no?
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Just it?
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And lastly is Wellington Council of shambles Well?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
I haven't been too willing to look at it, but
everything and I'm here is that it leaves a lot
to be desired from what I understand.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Thanks for joining us, Mayor.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at nzet Herald dot co dot nz. The Front Page
is produced by Ethan Seles with sound engineer Paddy Fox.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I'm Chelsea Daniels.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Subscribe to the front page on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcasts, and tune in to Morrow for another
look behind the headlines.
Cielda.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a
daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. Auckland's Mayor
Wayne Brown has never shied away from telling us exactly
what he thinks. He waged war on council controlled organizations
(00:26):
like Ekepinuku and Tatagi Auckland Unlimited, with proposals to abolish
them all together and bring their activities in house.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
He's never thought twice in criticizing who.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
He calls the weasels in Wellington or central Government, and
is also never shied away from voicing his concerns around
Auckland Transport, which is currently dealing with a wave of
violent attacks on drivers and passengers. Today, on the Front Page,
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown joins us to discuss these issues
ahead of his trip to China, where he hopes to
(00:58):
put the city of Sales on the do list for investors.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
First off, how was Brazil?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
You're off to China next as well? And how are
you going to get more Chinese investment in Auckland.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Well, they're kind of linked. Brazil and China are led
miles apart, but we suffer in New Zealand because the
member of the world is on a flat like that,
and we're always down this bottom corner down here, And
in America they save a bit of time by rolling
it back and they cut that bit off, and so
when they see a MEMP in America, we don't even exist.
And when we do exist, we think, well, we're separated
(01:36):
from the rest of the world, but in fact it's
the globe, and people forget that. In America, they still
have a flat out society. It's called TV. But the
shortest route from southern China to Brazil is if you
fly and land in Auckland and head off to Salpulo.
But as at the moment, no planes go there. And
I'm trying to encourage it to happen because the trade
between Brazil and China is four hundred and ninety billion.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
We want to cut of that.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
And if it comes through here, even if we only
get one percent of it, which we would do easily enough,
probably I'm looking at four or five percent of it.
One percent of it doubles the Auckland GDP. That's how
big this stuff is. And it's the sort of stuff
that I'm kind of in a unique position to probably
make it happen more than the government will, because the
government sort of a half pay aware of that, but
(02:22):
then be handed and a whole bunch of civil servants
in Willington nothing ever happens. And I know Brazil pretty well.
I've been going there for a long time, start off
with safing, but it gone into other things. And I
wrote a book called a five Minute Mba, which was
translated into Portuguese and becoming a best seller in Brazil.
So and I gave a copy of that to the
(02:43):
mirror of sal Paulo and to the vice president of
the sal Paula Origin, so it's kind of an interesting thing.
And then in China, I've been going there for a
long time with business, my own businesses and other ones,
so I know how to behave in both of those ones.
I've led business delegations to China, I've led them downe
to you, and now I've led one to Brazil, so
I know how to put the stuff together. The council,
(03:04):
we spend a whole lot of money on business development,
which doesn't develop any business at all. We've built a
television studio. We can't get rid of that lost money.
My predecessor did that. I wouldn't do stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
How confident are you that you're going to get that
route in place?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Well, I'm quite confident because I've now got an airline.
China Southern are quite keen to do this at the moment.
If you go from if you want to go to Brazil,
you have to fly lat Ham and they land in
San Diego. It's a nice flight to San Diego, and
then you get on a horrible, really small plane and
fly across the Andes to Brazil to South Paulo, and
it takes a long time and it's uncomfortable as momenteering,
(03:43):
and the flights are full.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
You can't even get on the damn things. So there's
a demand there already. And China Southern.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
We have five Chinese airlines flying into Auckland anyhow, and
China thousand is the biggest, is the biggest airline outside
America in the world, and they have three thousand flights
a day, which is hard to imagine.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
In terms of like having conversations with Chinese investors as well.
I know the government is keen to get more foreign
investment into the country.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Peter says, China is New Zealand's most important and complex
by lateral relationship. It's ten years since New Zealand signed
a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. Since then, It's exports
to China have doubled. China's ambassador said recently he hopes
that trade continues to flourish.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
China stands ready to work with New Zealand on the
basis and mutual respect, mutual benefit, none interference in each
others internal affairs, and constructive management of differences.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Maybe they can help pay for transport here, Wayne, Wasn't
the government's three year budget for transport in Auckland about
five hundred and sixty four million dollars less than you
guys hope for.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yes, it was, and we've kind of adjusted. We've believe
they are sharing because I've got control of the fine
answers here moderately. Will you know, we're not lifting our
rates by as much as anything like as much as
other cities. And that's despite the fact that I wanted
into a three hundred and seventy five million dollar lost
carefully concealed by my predecessor. So we're in quite good
(05:15):
order in that part of it there. And also there
is nearly two hundred thousand Chinese in Auckland, and.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
A lot of them come from Guangzhou.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
And we've got a thirty five year sister city arrangement
with Guangzhou. So I'm going to visit that that we
should respect these relationships. They're very important. And in China,
mayors of big stuff and I'm shijan Or mayor of
the largest in New Zealand, and that will be treated
with a fever to respect in China. And so you
can sometimes open doors. Even in Brazil, I was able
(05:45):
to meet the Vice President of the region and some
other people that did. In fact, the Minister of Foreign Trade.
He's a bloody good miniSTR. I've got to say I'll
get on well with Todd McLay. But he went to
some other things and I went to some things, different things,
and then we come to other and work together and
we're kind of and so there's a certain technique in
being comfortable in places like China and Brazil. It's a
(06:08):
bit like you get used to being on a Maria.
People who used to going on the Marai are used
to going and arow and people haven't been on Arab
who don't know what to do and China and Brazil
have their own behaviors and I'm comfortable with them. And
I speak hard in any words of Portuguese, despite the
fact that we got a book there. But I do
speak about of Chinese, not a lot, but enough. When
I open a speech, I always have two or three sentences,
(06:30):
not just one word, and that goes down very well.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
All of that stuff is relationship building.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Thirty five years of being involved with Ganjo, our city,
that is a very important thing. We're going to the
Shanghai city. I know quite well the Shanghai Import, export,
exhibition and trade, and so partially when I'm doing is
getting this flow between here and South America. And it's
also just using my contacts and doors that I open
(06:57):
to benefit those businesses that come with you. Like in Brazil.
We visited a firm there which is getting into aerospace,
and I'm going to put them together with Zeno back
here because they can be complementary. Everyone doesn't have to
re emit the wheel. It's been invented.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
If we look back at Auckland, I wanted to talk
to you about a couple of things back here in
terms of ten point six million dollars needed for the
broken pedestrian footbridge and the viaduct. A is it going
to be opened by Christmas? And B is that a
mismanagement by ek Pinuku it'd bit.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
To be bloody open by Christmas. You'd have to say
it hasn't been well managed over a period of time.
But on the other hand, we have had it in
Auckland of there's nothing so permanent as something called temporary,
and that was a temporary one built years ago and
it became permanent. They should have been thinking about that
earlier in the peace before they suddenly just got us
(08:02):
rusting a bit. Similarly, if you go down to Princess Wharfa,
is that weird looking cloud plastic building which is deteriorating
fast that was built fifteen years ago for two.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Years and still there.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
And so we've got to get in the habit of
if somebody is going to be temporary, we should finish
it and dump it in the interim period. While they've
been mucking around by spending a really an inordinately high
amount of money for repairing that bridge, I got to say, though,
we've got them to put in a temporary little ferry
that goes back because in force and I was down
(08:34):
there the other day and the people saying, we love
the ferry.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
We don't have the bridge now, so what's cheaper?
Speaker 3 (08:40):
You saying, well, the fairy's cheaper. But we've got them.
They're doing the bridge. We're quite good at moaning as
a country, and the people there moaning that's killing our
business because we don't have a bridge. They're actually not
on an island.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Or talking about CCO is what's the plan there?
Speaker 1 (08:56):
When are we getting rid of them?
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Last year would have been a good time. I can't
have to bring my counsel with me, and I have
to bring the government with me.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
AT which is a very widely disliked.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Organization and has adopted a very independent culture because it
was granted an independent status.
Speaker 7 (09:19):
In his own blestering letter to transport bosses, Wayne Ground
called disruptions unacceptable and omni shambles and said he could
use other words. He says Aucklanders have reached the end
of their patients.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
What's driving one of my actions here is that I
don't mind being criticized for things that I've actually done wrong.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
But I'm fed up.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
I've being criticized for things that I don't have much
control over, and I think what I'm wanting to have
is that turned into a delivery mechanism and get them
concentrating on delivering and the not concentrating it because they're
wondering into policy and things, which is really what the
Council should be doing. And so and I think I'm
working pretty well with Minister Simme and Brown over this
and I'm looking forward to quite a good result out
(10:06):
of this and some of the other things they're doing.
The CEO reform was one of the things that was
right at the top of the things I campaigned on,
and so people liked it. I went to three hundred
menis not one person said, oh, I know, I leave them.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
As they are.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
And so we have a lot of I don't like duplication,
but we're not any duplication. We have triplication. We have
quadruplication in some places. Everybody does events and in fact
the best events aren't even done by any of those
parts and pieces of the last Saturday I joined fifteen
thousand are the very happy people in the main street
of Ada who for the Oda Who Food Festival, which
(10:39):
half of the people on the council demon I was
on and it's the biggest food festival in the country.
They sold one hundred and twenty different food stalls months
before it happened. I just sold that snap overnight. Every
food person wanted to be there and it was fantastic.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
So with this CCO plan, have you got a timeline
or what kind of mechanisms do you have to work through? First?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Who you need to get on board to make that happen.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well, first of all, I have to get on board
the councilors that we need to do something about it,
and they are on board. We've got them on board encouragement,
but they are with regard to AT I do need
the government to work with me because it does have
a statutory position.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Well, speaking of Auckland transport, you haven't seen these figures,
but OIA figures released to Newstalk zb's Michael Sergel shows
that there were ninety three incidents a week on Auckland's
public transport in the year to August. That's an average
of thirteen a day, and in August alone, on one
train network alone, at reported twenty three assaults, nine robberies
(11:39):
or thefts.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Is that good enough?
Speaker 4 (11:42):
You want the real rus to do more? No?
Speaker 3 (11:46):
The question you meant is that bad enough, and it
is really bad, but it's a reflection of society is
just getting worse behaved everywhere. I mean, we've had people
shot and Ponsonby of all places, and badly at is reflecting.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
What's going on outside everywhere.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
We've got lots and lots of people catch the bus
until the driver the stuff off. You know, I'm going
to bash it. I'm not paying, you know, and you
think not good. So it just reflects society. Reading the
paper today, that's an enormous number of children went at
school last month. They're not going to grow up to
be doctors and engineers.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
And it is Auckland a safe city, do you reckon well?
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And relatively safe, you know.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I have just been to South Paulo and they took
me around in an arm and Range rover with it's
the bulletpro windows.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
But it's not as safe as I would like it
to be.
Speaker 7 (12:40):
Probably not that safe when I'm alone.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
I'm not too bad when I'm with friends and stuff,
but it's probably kind of getting a bit worse over
there is.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
Differently, when it gets past into dark, I do find
it a wee bit kind of looking over my shoulder
sometimes and there's always a few characters around, but I
generally find it really safe.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Lastly, I wanted just to do some quick fires with you, Mayor,
just because I know that you need to get packing
your bags first off.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Just yes or nose or really quickly.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
When's the open air saltwater swimming pool opening at the viaduct?
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Well, if that doesn't open and the same role, be
really annoyed.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
You'll be annoyed. When's I want to.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Swimm and that by the time the water's warm.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
When is Auckland getting a bed tax?
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Asked Minister Doocey.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Are you running in next year's local election?
Speaker 3 (13:30):
As distinct possibility but not saying this or no?
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Just it?
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And lastly is Wellington Council of shambles Well?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
I haven't been too willing to look at it, but
everything and I'm here is that it leaves a lot
to be desired from what I understand.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Thanks for joining us, Mayor.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at nzet Herald dot co dot nz. The Front Page
is produced by Ethan Seles with sound engineer Paddy Fox.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I'm Chelsea Daniels.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Subscribe to the front page on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcasts, and tune in to Morrow for another
look behind the headlines.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!