Traffic on Rimu Rd, Mangere Bridge, as morning commuters try and find a way to get on the motorway. Photo: RNZ/Nicky Park
Auckland is more dependent on cars and has less dense housing than its peers, a new report says.
The State of the City report, conducted by Deloitte for the Committee for Auckland, compared Auckland to Vancouver, Portland, Austin, Dublin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tel Aviv, Fukuoka and Brisbane.
Committee for Auckland director Mark Thomas told Morning Report prosperity had declined the most in the past three years, partly due to housing.
"The report says that we are much less dense than our peers, now that's not to say we need to be dense everywhere, what it's saying is we don't have the same degree of mixed housing that other cities do.
Auckland's strengths are its quality of life and diversity, a new report has found, but these aren't enough to keep the city competitive. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
"We also are more car dependent because we don't provide other transport options. So that's an example of one of the big consequences of our inability to solve this land use planning challenge."
Thomas said the report mentioned that Brisbane had managed to book hosting the Olympic Games.
"We won't have the Olympic Games in Auckland, but a Commonwealth Games for example is an example of a catalytic event that peer cities are doing and we can't even work out where to build a stadium."
Interest in hosting the 2034 Commonwealth Games was first floated by the New Zealand Olympic Committee in April 2023. The NZOC says its expression of interest still stands and work around a potential bid is ongoing. At the time, the government said if a bid was to go ahead, the event would be nationwide - not confined to one city.
Auckland risks 'falling further behind'
The third annual State of the City benchmarking report identified strengths in sustainability, resilience and culture but also highlights disadvantages in opportunity, experience and location.
"Weak economic performance, inadequate skills and innovation development, and disjointed and delayed planning are causing Auckland to lose ground, with the risk of falling further behind," Committee for Auckland director Mark Thomas said in a statement.
"We must fix the productivity problem, back high-growth industries and innovation, actually deliver better transport and housing, and rebuild Auckland's reputation."
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown at the launch of the State of the City report. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
He endorsed an "Auckland deal" under the government's City and Regional Deals programme.
Auckland's strengths were its quality of life and diversity, the report found, but these were not enough to keep the city competitive.
"This latest report shows Auckland isn't keeping up in key areas, but the green shoots of innovation and growth are a sign of what's possible if the city can drive higher productivity and create business conditions for sustained success," Deloitte chief executive Mike Horne said.
"Auckland's productivity sets the pace for the rest of the country, so it has an opportunity - and a responsibility - to be bolder in lifting it."
The report recommends the central and local governments address land use, housing, transport and regulatory settings which hindered productivity.
It also recommended the council strengthen Auckland's international brand, and "develop a compelling story about Auckland's past, present, and future that communicates its values, culture, and ambitions to the world".
Eden Park must be competitive with Australian cities, CEO says
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said Auckland was a great city but there was a need to align and prioritise.
There was also a need to adapt and re-use existing infrastructure, such as converting offices into apartment buildings, while for Eden Park 2.1 stadium upgrade they were looking to re-use the north stand, he said.
"The CRL (City Rail Link) project is a $6 billion project, we need to intensify housing around but also infrastructure in that area.
"Eden Park's going to be seven minutes from the CBD, there's no point in having a connection to the CBD if we don't have events, and we're advocating to ensure that we have event levies to ensure that we can compete with other cities like Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney for major content."
New Zealand's size meant there was only one option for a national stadium, he said.
"We want to see that work and that investment done, that creates jobs but it also makes us competitive with cities like Brisbane who are spending $6.5 billion on their stadium infrastructure."
There were a number of reasons why big acts such as ACDC, Oasis and Lady Gaga failed to come to New Zealand, he said.
"The exchange rate, the freight costs but then also seed funding, at the moment there's no seed funding available whether it be through MBI (Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment) or local council."
The introduction of a bed night visitor levy on short term accommodation would enable a fund to attract major events, but without that New Zealand would not get major concerts or sporting events, he said.
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