Auckland’s Downtown Carpark: SOLD!

8 June 2021. As unbelievable as it sounds, this key strategic site/carpark building (beside the Tepid Baths), built by previous generations of Aucklanders, has been voted by Mayor Goff and the m͟a͟j͟o͟r͟i͟t͟y͟ of Councillors to be sold – and most likely to a foreign investor for commercial and residential property development with a transport hub included for buses, bikes and e-scooters, but carparks are not mandated to be provided.

Not only does this carpark produce an income of around $𝟳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 per year, the 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆 of the short term carparks are controlled by Auckland Transport – and are far cheaper than privately owned carparks. This will now no longer exist and prices will increase unchecked.

This affects my Rodney based constituents, as well as other vehicle reliant Aucklanders, plus will affect visitor numbers to Downtown and local commerce.

Equally as shortsighted, the Mayor and majority of Councillors 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 voted to exclude a minimum number of short term carparks to be retained by the new owner/developer. This again, is unbelievable.

Only four Councillors stood up to protect this building from being sold, which has always allowed Aucklanders, and visitors alike the convenience of easy parking to lunch/dine/visit the Viaduct and downtown Auckland or visit the Gulf Islands… and much more.

𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒓𝒔 𝑺𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝑭𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒕.

The expectation from the other Councillors is that people needed to use public transport, walk or cycle instead of using their cars to access Downtown, to reduce carbon emissions in the CBD. …. there is no balance in utilizing ALL the available transport modes in this decision … where are all the future electric cars now going to park?

The 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 this publicly owned income generating asset is being sold, is to allow Auckland Council to have the cash it needs to balance the Mayors “sending and borrowing”

budget. ie: property sales are needed to balance the books, rather than peeling back to core business to solve Council’s financial woes.

Auckland deserves better than this.