Stay of execution for council childcare centres ahead of Auckland mayor's budget

Tuesday, 13 December 2022

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Hundreds of parents and children in Auckland are celebrating a “small win” after the mayor’s budget proposal to cut council-run childcare will go to public consultation instead of being “rushed” ahead.

Scrapping 10 Kauri Kids early childhood education (ECEs) centres across the city is among $130 million in savings proposed by Auckland mayor Wayne Brown in his first budget, which councillors will vote on in a Thursday meeting.

North Shore councillor Richard Hills said he had received assurances from Brown’s office that the proposed cuts – which directly affect about 350 children – would be consulted on and not simply delegated to staff to implement.

“It’s a small win, but the Kauri Kids childcare centres are certainly not out of the fire yet,” said Hills.

**READ MORE:

About 350 children and their parents are called for ‘timeout’ on a rushed budget proposal from Auckland mayor Wayne Brown that would see their early education centre’s cut.

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North Shore councillor Richard Hills addressed an emergency meeting held at Kauri Kids in Beach Haven last week.

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The public outcry and a deluge of emails to council had clearly had an impact, Hills said, and he was thankful the mayor had taken these into consideration.

There's reason for cautious optimism, but the battle isn't over yet to save Auckland's 10 community run ECEs.

“It also provides a chance to breathe and possibly find another community-run solution, if the council does pull out of childcare.”

According to briefing documents by council staff, the 10 Kauri Kids centres run at a loss, costing $200,000 a year. But, staff suggest that if the spaces used by the ECEs were leased to a private enterprise, $1m in savings could be made.

Meanwhile, Northcote MP Shanan Halbert has called upon councillors to vote “according to their values” at this week’s budget meeting.

“My view is that the council needs to apply its own values to its decisions. They need to ask why they are protecting assets like golf courses and not prioritising future generations.”

Asked if central government may intervene, Halbert said it already provided funding for early childhood education. “It's the standard commitment.”

He said Auckland Council had been “very poor” in informing staff and parents about the proposed cuts and needed to pick up their game.

“If this is about $200,000 in savings, the council needs to be up front about that. It sounds like a minimal saving, given the impact.”

If Brown’s budget is voted in at the governing body meeting on Thursday, public consultation is expected to be held in March 2023.

After feedback from the community and local boards, councillors will reconsider the budget and a final decision will be made in May or June 2023.

According to the meeting agenda, Kaipātiki Local Board had already opposed the proposal, calling for more detailed analysis of the impact of cutting Kauri Kids ECEs. Seven of the 21 local boards called for the issue to be consulted on.