LA jaunt scores mugs, ideas

Illustration / Rod Emmerson

Len Brown hails American trip with council group and business delegation a big success.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown led 13 other members of the council family and a business delegation of 43 to Los Angeles - and returned with a bunch of mugs.

As well as Mr Brown receiving a Hollywood Star and director's chair valued at $220 from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, he was one of eight council members gifted an LA Metro drinking mug.

Several also scored a Manhattan Beach Studios T-shirt, notebook and cap and Mr Brown got a plate and a framed picture from the Guangzhou Mayor as part of a tripartite summit between Auckland, Guangzhou and LA.

The six-day trip in June cost ratepayers $85,997 in flights, accommodation and incidentals, according to trip details released by the council under the Official Information Act.

With Mr Brown were councillors Bill Cashmore and Denise Krum, Auckland Transport chief executive David Warburton and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed) chief executive Brett O'Riley.

Other officers included Screen Auckland manager Michael Brook, Auckland Transport chief infrastructure officer Greg Edmonds, two Ateed staff, the mayoral office portfolio manager and four from the council's global partnerships and strategy team.

The biggest bills, $8509 and $8370, were run up by global partnerships and strategy adviser Louella Pitt and Ateed senior external relations manager James Kingi respectively for flying up to Los Angeles early to prepare the ground.

Not included in the details released by council were the costs for Mr Brown and his champion for Auckland overseas investment, former Waitakere Mayor Sir Bob Harvey, to make a short side trip to New York for a World Cities Summit Mayoral Forum.

Mr Brown has hailed the trip a big success, saying it will boost Auckland's economy with investment and job creation for years to come.

It included Screen Auckland identifying potential production opportunities worth tens of millions of dollars, Digital Water planning a trial for their water meters in Los Angeles and ventilation company HRV exploring expansion into the Chinese market.

Mr Brown said the 43 business delegates paid their own way and expected increased sales would result in extra tax easily surpassing the council's costs.

Los Angeles trip

• $85,997 cost for council delegation.

• Len Brown, 2 councillors and 11 officials attended.

• 43 business delegates paid their own way.

• Mugs, T-shirts and a director's chair among gifts.

• Brown hails trip a big success.