At the end of the local elections slated for later this year, Auckland will have a new mayor. Current Auckland mayor Phill Goff has announced he will retire from politics and will not be seeking re-election.
The global COVID pandemic turned Auckland’s CBD into a ghost town with many central city offices moving to work from home and retail and hospitality businesses are struggling with a lack of foot traffic.
But even before the pandemic, issues within the central business district have been compounded by major road works and an increase in violent attacks in the area. Businesses as well as visitors to the once bustling downtown area are frustrated by infrastructure that isn't working and are scared for their safety, and many consumers are continuing to stay away.
Auckland needs an overhaul, but do any of the nine declared candidates have what it takes to fix all the problems currently facing the country’s most populous city?
Free public transport, higher rates, a shake-up of the Auckland waterfront and a clean out of some of the highest-paid council workers. These are some of the promises being made by what could be perceived as the three frontrunners for Auckland mayoralty: south Auckland councillor Efeso Collins, Heart of the City boss Viv Beck, and waterfront bar owner Leo Molloy.
As the only candidate with council experience, Auckland councillor for Manukau ward, Efeso Collins is in a good starting position. Collins announced he would be running for Mayor of Auckland in January and on 28 February 2022, the Labour Party announced that they would be endorsing Collins as their preferred candidate. In the past, Aucklanders have tended to vote for mayors who have the backing of one or more of the major political parties.
Free public transport is one of Collins’ major campaign promises, he sees it as "the first and best way" to address the city’s emissions. His political views lean towards the centre of left. During the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum, for example, Collins opposed the legalisation of cannabis; however, he supports its decriminalisation and although he has spoken out on abortion and same sex marriage, he now says he respects people for their decisions.
The main thing Collins is missing is business experience, something those in the retail and hospitality sectors have been calling out for from Government officials for years now.
Leo Molloy, on the other hand, does have business experience – 20 years’ worth, but is it the kind of experience Auckland needs (or wants)? The controversial figure is known for his outspoken views.
Molloy and his first wife took ownership of the Fat Ladies Arms bar in Palmerston North in 1991. After moving to Auckland, Molloy opened the restaurant Euro on 3 August 1999, at the cost of 1.3 million dollars. He sold Euro in 2002 and later opened Danny Doolan's, an Irish pub.
In 2017, Molloy opened the HeadQuarters bar. During pandemic restrictions, he came under fire for planning to "segregate" unvaccinated staff members with different coloured uniforms, rather than firing them. He recently announced he would be closing HeadQuarters to focus on his election campaign.
Meanwhile, Viv Beck, chief executive of Heart of the City (Auckland city centre's business association) since 2015, is possibly the candidate with the most significant connection to the SME business owners who will be vital voters in this year’s election.
Beck is against free public transport and instead believes that one of the biggest issues to be tackled in Auckland is traffic congestion. She also understands the crippling effect the pandemic has had on central city businesses.
"There are many great things about our city. However, the reality is that we have crippling congestion, we have people stuck in a housing emergency and our streets are less safe. At the same time, Auckland has borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic with many of our small businesses and communities struggling to survive," she said.
"Now, more than ever, Auckland needs a mayor with the passion, determination and skills to get things done. To be Auckland's greatest champion, to tackle our biggest challenges while making sure we spend wisely as we invest in the future of Auckland."
These promises are all very well, but with a city in desperate need of revitalisation, do any of the candidates really have what it takes?
We want to find out. We will be interviewing the candidates to find out what they can do for Auckland and its struggling business sector. We’d also like to hear from you, what question(s) do you want to ask the candidates and what solutions would you like to hear from them? Contact sophie@reviewmags.com
