Mayoral candidate wants to sell council assets

Mayoral candidate Mark Thomas supports selling half of the council's airport shares and port operations. Photo / Supplied

Mayoral candidate Mark Thomas wants Local Boards to be able to sell under-used community assets, like stadiums, and use the proceeds for new facilities in their communities.

The centre-right candidate also supports selling half of the council's airport shares and port operations to fund infrastructure, but does not believe moving the port is a priority.

The proposals are part of his growth policy, which include:

Special development areas

Seek Government support to set up special development areas including Henderson, Onehunga, Manukau and Takapuna to speed up work on 15,000 new and affordable houses, and in Takanini/Drury, Kumeu/Huapai and Silverdale where development is underway.

Seek similar support for streets of local significance to unblock transport arteries.

Become growth enabler

Move funding from governance, support, economic and culture budgets into growth funding.

Allow private developers to provide transport and water infrastructure if they can do it cheaper than council.

Looking at new tools with banks to prefund core housing infrastructure.

Introduce a competitive consenting option.

Unitary plan

Change the residential and heritage rules in the Unitary Plan.

Establish a 'hub and spoke' model for Local Boards and communities to be involved.

Ports of Auckland

Moving the port is not a high priority but take steps to relieve transport congestion, including upgrading Grafton Gully road corridor.

Direct port to operate more efficiently on its current footprint.

Economic development

Move Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development(Ateed)'s tourism and events portfolio to Regional Facilities Auckland.

Integrate economic development into Development Auckland unless business wants it to be standalone.