Heaps still to do, says Supercity 'conductor'

Len Brown celebrates with the mayoress, Shan Inglis. Photo / Doug Sherring

Auckland Mayor Len Brown is promising more of the same in his second term leading the SuperCity.

"I'm absolutely rapt to be the second mayor," he said. "I am very, very proud and humbled to continue being the Mayor of Auckland. I love this place. I love this city with a passion."

Brown felt he'd managed to sup safely from the "chalice" (presumably poisoned) awarded to the first mayor of the country's first SuperCity. His role had been like that of an orchestra conductor, he said, as the various communities and council staffs came together after the 2010 amalgamation.

"It's been a big job and it's not done and there's so much work yet to do," he said.

"The three key things the community is most concerned about are: Get the budget right, get housing right, and get transport right. That has been our focus over the last three years; it will be the focus for the next three years."

Brown said the council would continue working to build a great city. "Not just for ourselves but most assuredly for our nation; it needs this city to be an economic powerhouse and that is the way we are going."

He was disappointed at voter turnout of just 34 per cent in Auckland.

"We will do online voting next time, there's no doubt about that. I think it may be that postal voting has had its day."

People were out of the habit of posting mail now, he said. "I would like to see us maybe go back to the one-day ballot-box vote with an option of online voting."

Preliminary results show that Brown scored 148,944 votes. His his nearest rival, John Palino, gained 98,930.