The 2022–2025 triennium is the current and fifth term of the Auckland Council, a territorial authority that governs the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It was elected in the 2022 Auckland Council elections held on 8 October, and the mayor and councillors were sworn in on 28 October.
Events
2022
8 October: Preliminary election results released; Brown leads as mayor by over 50,000 votes. 8 October: Auckland Transport chair Adrienne Young-Cooper resigns following election of Brown, who said he would replace all directors of major council-controlled agencies. 15 October: Final election results released; Brown wins the mayoralty. 20 October: Mayor-elect Brown meets with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. 27 October: Mayor-elect Brown announces Desley Simpson will be his deputy, saying she was "overwhelmingly" supported by the incoming council members. 28 October: Mayor and councillors sworn in. 5 December: Far-right Canadian activists Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern's appeal of event cancellation at council-owned venue is dismissed by the Supreme Court. 5 December: Mayor Brown proposes 4.5% rate rise, a rate that would be below inflation. 10 December: Mayor Brown earmarks $414k for advisors, in line with previous spending; he earlier pledged to cut executive salaries whilst campaigning for office. 22 December: Mayor Brown delivers letter to various council-controlled organisations, outlining expectations related to greater transparency.
2023
27 January–2 February: Severe flooding in Auckland after heavy rainfall across the upper North Island. 12 February: Cyclone Gabrielle reaches Auckland as a subtropical storm, worsening flooding. March 23: The council votes to leave Local Government New Zealand, in a split 10-10 decision with Mayor Brown casting the tie-breaking vote. April–October: Council rolls out food scrap bins across the region, with mixed reactions from Aucklanders.
2024
14 January: Central government cancels the Auckland Light Rail project. 21 February: Former councillor and 2022 mayoral race runner-up Efeso Collins dies following charity run. 4 July: The council voted 18–3 to oppose the government's increases to road speed limits. 9 November: Mayor Brown releases his draft of Mayoral Proposal for the Annual Plan 2025-26, confirming plans for Auckland Transport to be brought back under council control.
4 December: The council sold for $1.31 billion the remaining shares it owned in Auckland International Airport Limited as part of the council's long-term plan.
19 December: The council voted 11–8 to oppose the Government's Treaty Principles Bill.
2025
27 March: Council approves redevelopment of Eden Park, estimating an expense of $110 million. The alternative (a billion-dollar stadium on the waterfront) was not chosen. 27 March: Council approves funding levies for various amenities; Motat was given $19.6 million.
Composition Mayor
Two-term incumbent mayor Phil Goff did not stand for re-election, with the 2022 race for mayor seeing the centre-right Wayne Brown face off against the centre-left Efeso Collins (endorsed by Labour and the Greens), with Brown winning by more than 54,000. The election of Brown saw the super city's first right wing mayor since its inception in 2010.
Tim Murphy of Newsroom described Brown as an "anti-establishment" candidate, with Brown himself stating that his election "sent the clearest possible message to Auckland Council, and central government in Wellington." Brown said that transport was the number one issue, followed by crime, unfinished projects, over regulation, and council spending. +MayorAffiliationPolitical leanElectedDeputyWayne BrownFix AucklandRight-leaning2022Desley Simpson
Councillors A right ward shift was noted in the council following the 2022 elections, not only with the election of the right-leaning Wayne Brown as mayor. Eight new councillors were elected, with Julie Fairey, Lotu Fuli, and Kerrin Leoni being the new left wing faces and Andy Baker, Maurice Williamson, Ken Turner, and Mike Lee being the new councillors from the right. Many of the new right wing councillors ran on "reining in" council spending, including former National MP Maurice Williamson. +WardCouncillorAffiliationPolitical leanElectedAlbany John WatsonPutting People FirstRight-leaning2016 Wayne WalkerPutting People FirstRight-leaning2010Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa Christine FletcherCommunities and ResidentsRight-leaning2010 Julie FaireyCity VisionLeft-leaning2022Franklin Andy BakerTeam FranklinRight-leaning2022Howick Sharon Stewart IndependentRight-leaning2010 Maurice Williamson IndependentRight-leaning2022Manukau Lotu Fuli LabourLeft-leaning2022 Alf Filipaina LabourLeft-leaning2010Manurewa-Papakura Angela Dalton NoneLeft-leaning2019 Daniel Newman Manurewa-Papakura Action TeamRight-leaning2016 Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Josephine Bartley LabourLeft-leaning2018North Shore Chris Darby For the ShoreLeft-leaning2013 Richard Hills A Positive Voice for the ShoreLeft-leaning2016 Ōrākei Desley Simpson Independent (since late 2024) Right-leaning 2016Communities and Residents (2022–2024) Rodney Greg Sayers IndependentRight-leaning2016Waitākere Shane Henderson LabourLeft-leaning2019 Ken Turner WestWardsRight-leaning2022 Waitematā and Gulf Mike Lee Auckland IndependentsRight-leaning2022 Whau Kerrin Leoni LabourLeft-leaning2022
Notes
References