Auckland Council won’t put a number on job losses as budget cuts bite

Auckland Council will not yet put a number on the extent of the job cuts that will come from the next financial year’s budget.

In early April, the council began consulting with staff on a proposal to reduce staff numbers and change the way work is delivered across the organisation.

An announcement on the confirmed proposal is expected later this week, a spokesperson for the council confirmed.

The number of jobs to be cut will not be included at this point, the spokesperson said, as the proposal includes considering removing vacant positions.

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Chief executive Jim Stabback said the change was signalled in November last year, when the budget gap for the year starting on July 1 was predicted to be $295m, with the council expected to make savings across the organisation.

“We could easily just focus on employee numbers here, but I want to stress that this change proposal is about reshaping ourselves to deliver for Auckland in an even more efficient and sustainable way,” Stabback said.

“The proposal identifies places where we can merge functions for greater efficiency and to reduce duplication. It looks at how we can centralise some resources and services across the council group; and, as a result, it proposes changes to our staffing profile.

“Therefore, talking about final numbers of staff impacted is neither straightforward or fair on those impacted,” Stabback said when the consultation started in April.

Meanwhile, Auckland Transport has been consulting with staff on plans to cut 150 jobs.

Union for AT staff, the Public Service Association, pushed back on the initial five-day consultation planned to take place with staff in late April.

An announcement on AT’s restructuring plans is expected within days.