Wayne Brown: Auckland mayor outlines hopes for city's future in updated manifesto

Auckland's mayor is calling for more leadership - and labelling the city's innovation and tech sector 'random'. 

Wayne Brown has laid out a to-do list for central Government before it releases its Budget this month.  

He wants a tourist bed tax, looser transit visas, and more preparations for major population growth. 

Brown says a bed tax would fund bigger projects he has planned for the city - and he's hoping the Government will reconsider one.

"We've just had two-thirds of the Aucklanders thinking it's a hell of a good idea to get some funds in to watch big events - and the hoteliers up here think it's a good idea."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now to Auckland. Auckland's Mayor Wayne Brown reckons a supercharged
Auckland city can lead New Zealand out of recession. He's
updated his manifesto for the city and he's still calling
for a bed tax. This's have a chat to him. Hey, Wayne,
Hello Heather, You're not going to get a bed tax,
so are you?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Just wait and see what hasn't it been ruled out.
It's been ruled out, just immediately, but just roll time forward.
In the event, which is not absolutely sure that I've
become the mayor again, it will then be one year
before they have to get re elected. And we've just
had six two thirds of the organisms thinking that's a

(00:40):
hell of a good idea. So it can get some
funds to watch big events in the hotel. He is
up here think it's a good idea, and they might
just have to, thinking, dear, be a good idea if
we got re elected as well. So who knows what
are you going to spend? It ain't over till it's over.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
What do you spend the bed tax money on? Is
it about drawing attracting wants here?

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah? And also it's our events and the only three
places that really want it desperately are here Queenstown and Roda,
and Queenstown needs it to put up some cheap accommodation
because the people who work on Low Way just can't
afford to live there. And rot probably needs it for
toilets and security. And we need it for big events

(01:23):
because this is probably the only place that gets big events.
But you know when some of those big events, the
real big stars, they want three or four million just
to show up. Well we are and we will do.
And verone says, why don't you do like Sydney will
in those other places? Well they all got a bed tax.

(01:45):
It's called a bed night levy. Because if you say
that we're tax act, fly into a rage of disembellment.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Hey listen, why do you support this co governance business
and the white targety ranges?

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Well I don't necessarily. It's actually a local board issue.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
How old didn't you vote for it?

Speaker 2 (02:06):
No, they didn't come before the council. We have local
boards for doing local board things, So I stay out
of come.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Before the Transport committee and aren't you on that?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
I'm on most of them. Maybe I didn't go to that,
but it's not something else personally voted.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Okay, so Wayne, tell me what is your position on
this plan for the white targeting ranges. Do you support
it or will you oppose it?

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Well, I don't know enough about it. They have a
strong view on that, to be honest at the moment.
So I've got really strong views on fixing the transport,
fixing the temporary traffic management, changing the transit visa for
Chinese people that come.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Here can walk and chew gum. You're a smart guy.
I've got strong views and all this stuff. And I've
read about this as well. How can I know more
about this than you?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
That's not on Well, you're probably more interested in about that.
We've got a parking formed a park committee and put
Ken Turner on it as the chairperson, and he's deeply
involved in why to every arranges things, and so I
leave it up for him. Really, so it's called, you know,
letting people below him make some decisions.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
Okay, Okay, okay, So let's just get this straight. If
it was to go to a co governance model, which
Richard Hill says can at some stage become actual voting,
which is completely delegated to this co governance set up,
this committee if it goes to that, and then you know,
thirty five percent of the park is shut down and
a whole bunch of walks a shutdown. You're okay with that?
As the mayor, are you?

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Well? Okay thirty five percent of the park shutdown? But
I don't know if that's exactly what's involved?

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Well or not, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (03:41):
I mean, maybe right about it? Well? Some much just
fire people up. I've got tomorrow on Wednesday night. I'm
risking my going to the Saint Mary's Bay Association, who
are hot under the collar about planning Chaine seven years
faith and it's effected on character buildings and I live there,

(04:03):
so I'm going to go to that and it's my
and I don't expect Ken Turners to know anything about
that because he lives out in the wit Tackeries and
so I let him worry about those things. There's a
lot of needs to worry about in Orgland, I mean,
Wayne more, I would say more important. My big thing here,
for instance, is with I'm having a big push on
lifting the economic performance of here, particularly with tech Week

(04:26):
coming up. And I'm hoping that you want to interview
me during tech Week because I'm going to do a
lot about lifting the innovation income out for Aukwarande because
it's not as high as it should be, and that's
a massive, multi billion dollar thing rather than something or other.
It's Ken Turners all over and he lives in the ytackery,
So why would I bother interfering with what he's doing

(04:47):
on that one?

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Maybe because you're the mayor. Anyway, Wayne, listen, thank you.
I appreciate it, Wayne Brown, Auckland's mayor. For more from
Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
It'd be from four pm weekdays. Follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.