Auckland's city centre environment changed significantly through Covid. Photo / 123rf
Auckland's city centre environment changed significantly through Covid. Photo / 123rf
Opinion by Noelene Buckland
OPINION
In December 2023, the Mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown commented: “I believe all Aucklanders should feel safe in the city. A safe city is one where people feel comfortable living, working, and playing.
“I am comfortable that we have the right approach, so I encourage people to come intothe city during the festive season to enjoy themselves at our planned events and to shop at our prime retail spots.”
This initiative worked well — however, when it stopped at the end of December 2023, the situation appears to have deteriorated and today both business and residents are again concerned about a perception that our city centre is not as safe as it should be.
So what is it that makes a city safe? We know that in 2017, for the first time in history, more people lived in cities than in urban areas thus changing the relationship people have with other citizens. This also influences the required approach to housing, traffic, security/safety, public spaces, emergencies, schooling and the essential sense of belonging.
Noelene Buckland, Auckland City Centre Residents Group.
A 2018 article in The Conversation noted, - “The central role of public spaces in the social, cultural, political and economic life of cities makes it critical that they’re accessible to everyone. One of the most important qualities of accessible public spaces is safety. If people do not feel safe in a public space they are less likely to use it, let alone linger in it.”
In December 2013, the Committee for Auckland noted that - “In terms of perceptions of safety, Auckland ranks only 124 out of 195 in safety, marking a three-year decline and positioning it among the lowest-performing peer cities on safety and bottom within Australasia. As at December 2023 that situation had not improved”.
The city centre environment changed significantly through Covid and there has since been a collaborative effort to create a safe place that everyone can enjoy. While there is still work to do, particularly on social issues and compliance with our local bylaws, progress has been made. The police are targeting and arresting offenders. There are guards patrolling central city streets to support safety and deal with issues that may arise.
Auckland Council’s website advises that “Anti-social behaviours are actions that threaten, intimidate or lack consideration for the safety and wellbeing of others.”
Their Public Safety and Nuisance Bylaw 2013 is designed to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy our public spaces without experiencing these behaviours.
Over the past decade some $250 million of city centre targeted rates have been spent on new and upgraded public space infrastructure in our city centre with another $270m planned for the next 10 years. To maximise our return on this investment, it is essential that everyone who lives, works or visits our city centre feels safe.
When that occurs, we will all have the evidence needed to demonstrate that the money we allocated was spent wisely.
· Noelene Buckland, Auckland City Centre Residents Group
