The year when election campaign headlines meet political reality

[If you are unable to view this message correctly, click here]( [stuff header]( Hi {NAME}, This is a year in which realities will come home to roost, both for the [mayor Wayne Brown]( for Aucklanders who on top of other pressures, will get [less from their council, while paying more](. Brown, his council and Aucklanders who engage on shaping the [city’s toughest-ever budget]( have to decide what they can live without in the quest to plug a [deficit last forecast to reach $295 million](. Even if the hit from [global inflation]( [high interest rates]( sooner rather than later, community programmes and access to [council facilities face a trim]( and[rates will rise an average 4.6%.]( Juggling the numbers will have little impact on one part of Auckland life - how people get around - as the long-running success story of [public transport use]( enters a bleak chapter. More than [1000 bus services have been cut]( due to [a shortage of 500-plus drivers]( with further ad hoc cancellations, and recruiting in a[tight job market]( even with [higher wages on offer]( will be a slow turnaround. The greatest success, [commuter train use]( is a locked-in fail, with an extended [summer shutdown for maintenance and upgrades]( flowing into a two-month closure of part of the southern line and a nine-month closure for the Eastern line. For reasons never clearly explained, [years of disruptive repairs]( KiwiRail to under-maintained tracks will be capped-off with the replacement of the foundations they sit on. There is no escaping the disruption, and it is certain there will be a swing back in favour of motoring, just as the city should be cutting back driving to meet [climate change goals](. Wayne Brown’s headline campaign themes were [shaking up council agencies]( accelerating the relocation of Auckland’s port, but he will find that the political priority in 2023 will be striking the right mix of measures to balance the budget with minimum impact on Aucklanders. [Port reform]( be important but a back-burner issue, with Brown already having to back away from his declared timeframe for the ending of the vehicle trade. Brown’s December 2024 deadline did not make it into his Letter of Expectation to the council-owned port company, after it became a barrier to political consensus from councillors, on his view on how the port should evolve. [user profile pic] Todd Niall Senior Stuff Journalist [See more Auckland news]( [Privacy Info]( [Privacy Info]( [Watch this video now] The common factor in the six drownings since Friday At least 79 people were rescued from the water around New Zealand over the weekend, Surf Life Saving says. The rescues come as Auckland has seen six drowning deaths since Friday, all at beaches that were unpatrolled or where lifeguards had finished for the day. [Read More]( [Privacy Info]( More Auckland stories you might have missed [Article Image] Waiheke's sausage mystery: 'It's ripping us apart, we can't trust one another' [Read more button]( [Article Image] Kiwi start-up helps Iraqi children by translating nursery rhymes into Arabic [Read more button]( [Article Image] Underwires for fighting fires - new bra rated by emergency service workers [Read more button]( [Article Image] Family with assistance dog illegally discriminated against in search for rental [Read more button]( [Support Stuff]( [Discover more Auckland news at Stuf]( You are receiving this email because you are opted in to receive the Your Auckland newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( [Manage your profile]( [Privacy Policy]( Did a friend forward you this email? [Sign up to get Your Auckland in your inbox]( Stuff, 4 Williamson Ave, Ponsonby, Auckland, 1021, New Zealand