Auckland mayor Wayne Brown tells central government to "keep out of it" before election

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has told central government politicians to "keep out of it" and "sod off" ahead of the election. RNZ reported that Brown said he has had a "gutsful" of central government intervention in the city.

Brown criticised intervention over Auckland's unitary plan, the council's main planning rulebook. He also criticised the Medium-Density Residential Standards, which allowed three three-storey homes on each section.

Brown also spoke about a highway project between Warkworth and Te Hana. The 25-kilometre route has a cost of $3.2 billion, and possibly $3.6 billion. Brown said the route had never been shown to him.

He made the case that Auckland accounts for 40 percent of New Zealand's population.

Brown has also unveiled a manifesto laying out his priorities and his hopes for the next government's approach to Auckland. The Manifesto 2026 document lists five priorities: faster, better and cheaper public transport; support for growth in the right places; support for Auckland's global economic drive; continued cuts to what it calls stupid rules; and attention to resilience and the environment.

The document also states that the new Auckland Regional Transport Committee risks being undermined by political promises made in the heat of an election campaign.