Auckland must boost transport, housing to stay competitive: Report

NZ Herald

14-07-2025

'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 snare hosting rights for the Olympic Games.
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
'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 (NZOC) 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 highlighted 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's 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.'
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 that the Government and local councils address land-use, housing, transport and regulatory settings which hinder 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 reuse existing infrastructure, such as converting offices into apartment buildings, while for the Eden Park 2.1 stadium upgrade, his organisation was looking to reuse the north stand, Sautner said.
'The CRL [City Rail Link] project is a $6 billion project, we need to intensify housing around [that] 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, Sautner 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 AC/DC, Oasis and Lady Gaga failed to come to New Zealand, Sautner 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 MBIE [the Ministry of Business, Innovation and 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, Sautner said.
– RNZ