Super City: Rates, water charges big concerns

Manukau councillor Alf Filipaina wants to ensure Auckland Airport shares are not sold. Photo / NZ Herald

Each year, more than 13 million overseas visitors arrive at Auckland Airport.

From Mangere, they set out on their journeys around the country, either heading north towards Auckland City or south through Manukau.

The number is set to increase to 24 million passengers by 2025, which should lead to a big boost in income from the airport for the whole region - as long as the new Auckland Council does not sell its airport shares.

Alf Filipaina, one of the front-runners for one of the Manukau ward's two council seats, says Manukau City Council has been able to use its dividends from its airport shares to keep rates down.

"In previous years, we've had $1 million to $2 million off our rates bill."

The Manukau councillor wants to ensure the city's airport shares are not sold.

Mr Filipaina acknowledges that there will be more people than just Manukau ward councillors deciding the best direction for the region.

"You can't go in and say that rates have to stay low because you are two people of 20 councillors, plus the mayor."

Mr Filipaina and fellow Manukau councillor Efu Koka announced their Labour ticket candidacy in May, getting a head-start over most of the contenders to become front-runners in the field of 12 contenders.

Mr Filipaina is well known as a police officer in Manukau, and while he is not on the frontline any more, he has connections all over town as well through his work as a Manukau councillor.

Efu Koka is a prominent community figure around Otara, and while only a first-term councillor, he has been vocal about cleaning up Manukau's streets and making suburbs safer.

The two councillors are campaigning in a Labour stronghold, which could explain why Citizens & Ratepayers has only one candidate for this seat - Bob Wichman, another Manukau councillor.

A new ticket called ABC - A Better Choice - was launched to cater for the Pacific Island community. Candidates Rosie Brown and Salote Lilo want to ensure the Pacific voice is not lost in regional discussions.

The rest of the nominations are independents or linked to local tickets, the strongest contenders being Manukau Deputy Mayor Gary Troup and former National Party MP Arthur Anae.

The major players are all talking about regional issues, and in Manukau the biggest concerns are rates and water charges.

Manukau City has some of the lowest charges in the region, and many lower-income families will notice any increases.

The new ward stretches from Otahuhu in the north to the Manukau CBD in the south, taking in Papatoetoe, Otara, Mangere and part of East Tamaki.

It is one of Auckland's more diverse communities - more than 50 per cent of the 140,000 residents are from the Pacific Islands, and 23,000 are Maori.

About 30,000 residents are European, and nearly 25,000 are Asian.

One of the major considerations for any new council will be to make sure all ethnic groups get the representation they need.

The ward's median income was only $20,327 at the last Census.

Mr Troup sees the inclusion in the ward of Otahuhu - it is part of Auckland City at present - as a big opportunity to stimulate economic growth for Auckland.

"It's accessible from a transport point of view, it's not far from Penrose and there is a significant business opportunity since the closure of the freezing works some years ago.

"We've got to look after the lower socio-economic population as best as we can, across the whole region."

As well as being concerned about rates, residents are worried about potential fees to use swimming pools, which are free in Manukau.

Most of the contenders want to retain free access to pools, and even expand it across the region, to try to keep youth schemes such as Sir John Walker's Field of Dreams running.

Mr Wichman, who jokes that he is known as "Councillor Scrooge", supports keeping the pools free but says the money for their maintenance has to come from somewhere.

He is willing to spend on core infrastructure such as transport because Manukau is expanding.

"People are sick and tired of being stuck in traffic."

Whatever the outcome, the biggest battle all of the candidates face is encouraging residents to vote.

At the last Manukau City elections, in 2007, only 39 per cent of eligible voters took part, and while the ward boundaries have changed, it will still be a struggle to get constituents to tick the boxes.

CANDIDATES

* Steven Afford, Independent
* Arthur Anae, Independent
* Rosie Brown, ABC - A Better Choice
* Alf Filipaina, Labour
* Efu Koka, Labour
* Salote Lilo, ABC - A Better Choice
* Brent Morrissey, Independent
* Sylvia Taylor, Residents and Ratepayers
* Lupe Tofilau Alesana, Independent
* Gary Troup, Independent
* Annalucia Vermunt, Communist League
* Bob Wichman, Citizens & Ratepayers

PROFILE

Ethnicity: European 22.4 per cent, Maori 17.6 per cent, Pacific 51.8 per cent, Asian 18.4 per cent
Born overseas: 42.6 per cent
Median personal income (residents aged 15 and over): $20,327

* From the New Zealand Herald feature, 'Super City - Election Guide'