Time is running out for Aucklanders to influence how their rates are spent, with consultation on the city’s draft Annual Plan 2026/2027 set to close at 11:59 pm this Sunday. Manukau ward councillors are making a final plea for residents, particularly those in South Auckland, to make their voices heard on a budget that will shape the region’s services and infrastructure for the coming year.
The comprehensive spending plan outlines a multi-billion dollar programme of works and services. It proposes a total of $5.3 billion to be allocated to essential community services such as public transport, libraries, community centres, parks, and waste collection. A further $3.9 billion is earmarked for critical infrastructure projects, including upgrades to water systems and transport networks across the city. Central to the proposal is an average general rates increase of 7.9 per cent, a figure that will directly impact household and business finances.
The annual plan serves as the council's operational budget for the financial year. It details the funding for day-to-day services and outlines the key projects that will be prioritised. Public consultation is a mandatory part of the process, designed to ensure the final budget reflects the priorities and concerns of the communities it serves. However, with just days left, there are significant concerns that crucial perspectives are being missed.
South Auckland voices at risk of being missed
Manukau ward councillor Lotu Fuli has expressed deep concern about the low engagement from key communities, including Māori, Pasifika, young people, and residents across South Auckland. She warns that this lack of participation could lead to a final budget that does not adequately address the needs of some of the city's most diverse and rapidly growing areas.
"These are the plans that shape what Auckland will look like in the future," Fuli says. "So this is our opportunity, from kids as young as one all the way up to our mamas and papas in their 80s and 90s."
It’s their opportunity, everyone’s opportunity to tell us, the council, your elected members, local board and governing body, what areas we should be focusing on, where we should be spending your rates.
Fuli acknowledges that many residents may be suffering from "consultation fatigue" after numerous previous feedback rounds on various council initiatives. Despite this, she stresses the critical importance of this particular process. Engagement is often lowest in areas where residents are most reliant on council services and where cost of living pressures, such as rising fuel costs that have seen more people using packed public transport, make rate rises particularly challenging for family budgets.
Tough trade-offs for local services
The decision-making process involves a series of difficult compromises, especially for local boards facing significant funding shortfalls. Fuli explains that boards are being forced to consider service cuts to balance their books. "If the shortfall is a million dollars, cuts could be made to libraries, swimming pool opening hours, or they could look at a targeted rate," she says. Residents who disagree with these potential cuts are urged to voice their opposition through the consultation process.
These financial pressures exist alongside the ongoing costs of maintaining public assets. For example, Auckland ratepayers are already shouldering significant expenses for remedial works, such as the $1.2 million bill for park vandalism. The annual plan must balance these reactive costs with proactive investments in community amenities, like the major upgrades planned for a Wairau Valley park, which also require substantial funding.
Fellow Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina echoed Fuli's concerns, highlighting the long-term consequences of the decisions being made. “We’ve got some big issues coming up with the annual plan and then later on with the long-term plan,” he says. “Have your say… because there are big money stuff that we have to put out to our community for them to have a say.” Filipaina urged people to participate despite the financial strain many are experiencing.
How to make your voice heard
Budget and Performance Committee chair Greg Sayers emphasised that public feedback is a vital tool for elected officials. “This is one of the best opportunities to help elected representatives with decision-making,” he says. Councils in other cities, such as Cairns in Australia, are similarly facing major civic challenges that require strong community input to resolve, highlighting a common theme in local governance across Australasia where councils are seeking new powers to address local issues.
Auckland Council has made efforts to simplify the submission process to encourage wider participation. Residents can provide feedback through various channels to ensure accessibility for all. The primary portal is the council's official consultation website, where residents can read the full plan and complete an online feedback form.
Submissions can also be made via video or audio recordings, or by filling out a hard-copy form at any local library. “You can go to the library, you can do it online. If you want to make a video, if you just want to do a post, all of those things will be counted,” Fuli says. This flexible approach is designed to capture the views of as many Aucklanders as possible before decisions are finalised.
The final opportunity for Aucklanders to submit their feedback is this Sunday. All submissions must be received by 11:59 pm to be considered by elected members before they deliberate on and adopt the final Annual Plan 2026/2027. You can find more information and submit your feedback at the AK Have Your Say website.
