Paearu Tohutohu mō te Pokapū Tāone

City Centre Advisory Panel

Since 2005, CCRG has had two seats (out of 15-21 possible seats), providing a voice for city centre residents on the important City Centre Advisory Panel (formerly Auckland City Centre Advisory Board). 

To view CCAP agendas and minutes click HERE and search via the dropdown menu Meeting/Te Hui

The City Centre Advisory Panel is a key advisory body advising Auckland Council on achieving the vision and strategic outcomes of the Auckland Plan, the City Centre Masterplan, and the expenditure of the City Centre Targeted Rate (CCTR), supporting a development portfolio that addresses city centre issues.

It advises the council governing body, Waitematā Local Board and council controlled organisations.

Streetscape, public realm and placemaking was the original objective of the targeted rate and has been the focus of the CCTR. There is flexibility to consider other types of spending in response to the changing needs of the city centre (such as Residents’ needs, events, development response and activation).

The City Centre Masterplan is the vision to ensure the heart of our city remains a vibrant, bountiful place for everyone.

Auckland Council includes:
· the governing body and its relevant committees
· Waitematā Local Board
· Council Controlled Organisations.

The City Centre Targeted rate is a special levy paid by all property owners - both residential and business and within the defined city centre area.

For residents, as of 2020, there were approximately 21,400 ‘Separately Used or Inhabited Part of a Rating Unit’ (SUIP) in the City Centre that pay the CCTR. They each pay approximately $64.60 (incl GST) per annum in 2022/3. Therefore this raises approximately $1.8 million from residents yearly.

The total amount collected from Businesses and Residents is approximately $220 million over 10 years ($22.8 million per annum), , for ongoing  upgrades and enabling the City Centre Transformation Programme of capital works to improve the city centre.  Proposed projects are assessed against a set of agreed CRITERIA.  We are currently in the second targeted rate cycle, 2016-2026, which is likely to be extended out to 2028.

The City Centre Masterplan 2020 gives life to a vision of a better city centre, via a practical blueprint - a blueprint that is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is current and viable.
CCRG support, and wholeheartedly endorse this vision. 
We will work to ensuring this plan becomes a reality.

In 2020, after much consultation, the original CCMP 2012 had a ‘refresh’, and was adopted.
It is now completely digitised online, and incorporates the previous Waterfront Plan.

There are 8 big ideas for change the ‘Transformational Moves’:

1: Māori outcomes

2: The east and west stitch

3: Waihorotiu / Queen Street Valley

4: The Learning Quarter

5: Transit oriented development

6: The Green Link

7: City to the villages

8: Harbour edge stitch

There are 10 Outcomes for The city we want Auckland to be, that support the 8 transformational moves.

Of particular interest is the new focus on city centre residents in Outcome 6: Residential city centre neighbourhoods/Whāinga 6 – Te takiwā noho i te pokapū tāone

Vision for residential city centre neighbourhoods
Challenges faced by city centre residents

Underpinning and potentially enabling much of the CCMP 2020 is Access For Everyone (A4E), a coordinated response that manages Auckland's city centre transport needs by:

• limiting motorised through-traffic
  prioritising access to city centre destinations
  creating new spaces
  improving access for servicing, freight and delivery
  favouring public transport, walking and cycling.

Perhaps the most visible projects are those involving streetscape upgrades, (Queen Street, Quay Street, Lorne Street, K Road, Swanson Street, Vulcan Lane and Lower Khartoum Place),  and the successful shared streets projects including Elliott Street, Darby Street, Jean Batten Place, Fort Street area, Lorne Street (in front of the Library) and O’Connell Street. All of these are part of the programme to transform the city centre's streets and open spaces into a high quality urban environment. 

Projects, such as the Te Hā Noa/Victoria Street Linear Park, (now underway), and the Emily Place Upgrade will help to provide the sort of city centre that residents can truly enjoy.

We of course are always interested in projects that make a targeted and measurable difference to residents, especially in areas that have been poorly served in the past. Much work has been done by the Board on reviewing the assessment criteria against which the City Centre Targeted Rate (CCTR) projects are measured.Read the comprehensive report presented to ACCAB on the criteria background,and information maps on how and where in the city centre much of the monies have been spent.

ACTIVATION - The CCTR also allocates money for placemaking and activation in the city centre - especially important after the covid-inflicted slow downs, but also a good way of introducing art, culture, and entertainment, into our streets.

The Panel also provides a forum to discuss a range of issues, whether they be transport,  city centre cleaning, noise and public spaces, just to mention a few.
CCRG advocates for residents, applying common sense, and continually referencing the Positions that we have as a group, decided upon.

The Panel meets bi-monthly, and meetings are public. Check out the AGENDA,  & come along and see the many and varied projects the board is discussing and possibly endorsing to improve the city centre.

Board Terms of Reference and membership criteria.