In a major digital survey marking 15 years since Auckland’s Super City merger, Aucklanders support celebrating Māori and Pacific heritage but express scepticism about further cultural investment.

The survey, Auckland@15: Shaping the Next Fifteen Years, conducted by the University of Auckland’s Complex Conversations Lab, revealed key insights into Aucklanders’ views on infrastructure, the environment, and the success of the amalgamation of eight councils into one ‘Super City’.

According to the survey, Aucklanders believe that ‘cultural identity remains a sharp point of division, however, 64% agree Auckland has a recognisable, multicultural identity.’

Around 70% support celebrating Auckland’s Māori and Pacific heritage, about 30% expressed ‘caution or scepticism about prioritising further cultural investment.’

Of major concern to Auckland Council, only 53% of respondents ‘felt that amalgamation successfully unified Auckland’s voice to central government, the survey found.

Me whai whakaaro te kaunihera ki te mana o Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei

At an event marking the release of the report, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei deputy, Ngārimu Blair, spoke of the position mana whenua must occupy for Auckland City to realise its potential.

The event was attended by the Minister for Auckland, Simeon Brown, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, as well as former prime ministers, Rt Hon Sir John Key and Rt Hon Helen Clark.

Blair challenged the city’s perception of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

“Don’t treat us like a Te Tiriti partner. Treat us as a major economic stakeholder in this city,

“I think 15 years ago, we were $18 million on our balance sheet. We’re post-settlement now, and we’ve turned $18 million into a $1.6 billion asset. So, it’s time to take us seriously,” he says.

Blair says he was interested to hear a significant number of Aucklanders strongly supported celebrating Auckland’s Māori heritage. He says it felt quite different to when he was growing up in Auckland in the 1980s.

“Kitea e au ērā kautetanga, whitū tekau paiheneti e pai ai ki ngā mea Māori me ngā mea moutere. Toru tekau paiheneti kāre i pai. Ki a au nei, e pai ana.

“I tipu ake au i ngā tau waru tekau, ko te nuinga i ērā wā, kāre i pai ki te Māori.”

He turanga tō te iwi Māori hei ngā tekau mā rima tau e tū mai nei?

Ahakoa ngā kōrero pai mō te iwi Māori ki roto o Tāmaki, ka toko ake te pātai, me aha e whai niho ai ngā iwi mana whenua o Tāmaki ki roto i te kaunihera.

I te tau 2010, i whakatūria ai te poari Māori motuhake o te kaunihera o Tāmaki, ki raro i te ture Kaunihera o Tāmaki, koia te ture i whakamana ai te hanumitanga o ngā kaunihera e ono hei kaunihera kotahi.

E ai ki te kahika o Tāmaki, ki a Wayne Brown, whakahīhī katoa ana ia ki ngā mahi i oti i te poari Māori motuhake.

“We have no Māori wards; however, we do have the Independent Māori Statutory Board, that actually works fine,” te kī a Brown.

“We hope to continue the momentum with our independent board, as they’ve shown in recent months that they are even capable of taking over some of our governing local boards as well.”

Hei tā Ngārimu Blair, he wāriu nui tō ngā āhuatanga Māori, e whai hua ai te katoa o ngā iwi kei Tāmaki e noho ana.

“Kei roto i ngā pūrākau, whakapapa o te whenua nei, kei reira ngā hua mō tātou katoa, te iwi Pākehā hoki. Kei te whai rātou ētahi hohonutanga ake. Āe, kāore e kore ka aro mai.“

Key insights from digital survey

Cultural Identity and Diversity:

• Cultural identity remains a sharp point of division however, 64% agree Auckland has a recognisable, multicultural identity.
• Around 70% strongly support celebrating Auckland’s Māori and Pacific heritage and investing in cultural diversity and the arts.
• About 30% expressed caution or scepticism about prioritising further cultural investment.

Environmental Protection and Sustainability Action:

• Up to 95% support stronger environmental protections, including improved water quality and urban greenery.
• 87% think Auckland’s trees and urban greenery need better protection to stop our suburbs becoming unappealing, hot and sensitive to flooding.

Decision-making capacity and engagement:

• Only 53% overall felt that amalgamation successfully unified Auckland’s voice to central government.
• Only 18% felt connected to Council decision-making, and just 20% felt amalgamation had improved public engagement.
• Only 32% think Council is providing more strategic and region-wide responses to problems, with most saying there are more ad hoc responses,

Housing and Urban Development:

• 91% of those surveyed believe housing intensification must be balanced with green spaces and liveability.
• 90% of Participants expressed support for high-quality, best-practice high-density development in appropriate locations with supporting services like public transport.

Infrastructure Planning:

• 94% support a long-term infrastructure strategy that transcends political cycles.
• 93% think Auckland needs to consider retreating from flood-prone areas and should prohibit new buildings in these locations.
• 92% think infill housing development needs to be balanced with green spaces and community amenities.

Innovation and Economic Development:

• 77% believe Auckland must position itself as a global innovation city to attract talent and strengthen its economy.
• 77% also believe Auckland must position itself as a global innovation city to attract talent and strengthen its economy, but expressed concern that the city doesn’t maximise this advantage compared to overseas cities.”

Transport:

• 61% think reducing congestion should be Auckland’s top transport priority, even if it means introducing charges on some roads at times when they are most congested.
• 60% think it’s easier to get around Auckland on public transport than it used to be.
• 56% think cycling and pedestrian access need more investment.