• Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has called for the Government to reconsider a bed tax and a reciprocal visa policy with China.
• Brown also says residents are “mature enough to have a conversation” about immigration and population growth plans.
• He urged legislative changes so Auckland Council can control regional transport and infrastructure planning.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has outlined his blueprint for economic prosperity, calling on the Government to bring in a bed tax and a reciprocal visa policy with China.

Today, Brown updated his Manifesto for Auckland ahead of Budget 2025, which will be announced on May 22.

In it, he said the Government needed to pay urgent attention to three focus areas: technology and innovation, housing and growth, and immigration and tourism.

Brown said Auckland Council‘s challenge with housing was to “ensure that our infrastructure can keep up with future population growth”.

“That means ensuring population doesn’t get ahead of council planning and investment. Auckland knows best what we can and can’t do,” he said.

He said the council was already working with the Government to enable more homes to be built, but the key focus was to develop tools to fund infrastructure.

He said restructuring council-controlled organisations and integrating land use regulation with transport and infrastructure planning would mean the council could “prioritise investment”.

“Now we need the Government to urgently get on with the legislative changes needed to give Auckland Council control of regional transport planning.”

‘Mature enough to have a conversation’: Immigration, population growth plan

Brown wanted the Government to develop an immigration and population growth plan for the city in consultation with residents.

“I believe Aucklanders are mature enough to have a conversation about population growth and the trade-offs that come with having a bigger city,” he said.

On tourism, Brown said Auckland was the gateway to New Zealand and “the obvious place to host major events that will attract more international visitors”.

Getting the most out of Auckland’s visitor economy would be helped by a visitor bed night levy, a bed tax, Brown said.

“I strongly urge the Government to reconsider a bed night levy, especially given it’s what Aucklanders want,” he said, referencing recent consultation feedback showing 60% of respondents supported the tax.

“A reciprocal visa policy with China would also help” get the most out of the tourism sector, he said.

Brown pointed out the current transit visa Chinese nationals needed to pass through Auckland was a significant hurdle preventing the “southern link” between Southeast Asia and Brazil.

“The issue needs to be resolved so airlines like China Eastern can provide this service linking those two huge economies together via Auckland, which will provide a huge jolt to our economy.”

On innovation, Brown spoke of getting “the incentives right so that more private investment flows in”.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news and local stories from Tāmaki Makaurau. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.