Incumbent Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has turned his attention to who could join him around the council table, with Auckland Council candidates standing in Albany, Manukau, and North Shore on his "Fix Auckland!" ticket.

The 79-year-old told RNZ the "big race" in Auckland was not the mayoral election, but the council elections.

"I've managed to get enough support every time I've wanted to do a major thing.

"But it would be nice if I didn't have to battle the same four people who oppose everything every time and are doing no good for their people."

He called the Albany councillors "particularly negative".

"They're opposition politicians.

"They've never supported anything that reduces costs. They voted against selling the airport shares, which were returning us less than 1 percent, and now we're getting 8.5 percent. If we hadn't done that, we'd be increasing our rates by another 5 percent.

"And just recently, they voted against excessive rate rises. But we've produced the lowest rate rises of any metro centre in New Zealand."

Incumbent Albany councillor John Watson, told RNZ he had been a councillor for 12 years.

Albany councillor John Watson. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

He said him and fellow Albany councillor Wayne Walker, who were standing on the Putting People First ticket, had contested Wayne Brown on several issues.

"The mayor appears to be after total subservience. He wants total control, no challenging voices or anyone putting what he wants to do under scrutiny.

"Where communities haven't been treated fairly, we've had to really hold him to account, and he doesn't like that.

"North Harbour Stadium, he was all for demolishing and selling that off. He didn't like not getting his way on that."

He said the mayor had "looted the north's assets during his first term" and that rate increases for the area were much higher than the city's average.

"Our residents will know the north was hit really hard in this last rates round. Over 40 percent of people here had rate increases between 10 and 20 percent.

"Albany is the biggest, most populous ward in Auckland, and people pay a disproportionately high proportion of the rates to the Auckland Council rates kitty. I want to ensure Albany gets a fair go and other communities in Auckland likewise."

Walker, who had been an Auckland councillor since the supercity was formed in 2010, and was a councillor for Rodney before that, echoed a similar sentiment.

"Councillors like myself, my fellow councillor John Watson, and a number of councillors who stand up for their communities and for issues across Auckland, he doesn't want that, he wants those councillors gone.

"We don't think it's good for democracy or accountability for councillors to have their first allegiance to the mayor, rather than to the communities they should be representing."

Albany councillor Wayne Walker. Photo: Auckland Council

He believed the mayor had not ruled out privatising the Port of Auckland or getting rid of North Harbour Stadium.

Wayne Brown said he stood by his decision-making.

"The idea that they saved the ports is ridiculous. I didn't come up with the idea of selling it. The offer to sell it came from Mr [Phil] Goff.

"I just said to the ports, start making money, or we'll look at that offer.

"I came up with, without any input from those people, a tripartite agreement between the ports, the council, and the port workers.

"One of the things they're claiming is that they're taking on the mayor for demolishing and selling North Harbour. They consistently mislead the public. As part of our Long Term Plan, council voted on three options for the future of the stadium, none of which included a proposal for demolition or sale."

An option the council considered was redeveloping the precinct, which could have resulted in the "deconstruction" of the stadium.

At a council meeting in 2023, Wayne Brown called the stadium a "white elephant" that should be pulled down.

Ultimately the council decided to maintain the status quo.

Wayne Brown said it was up to the local board to figure out a long-term solution for the stadium.

North Harbour Stadium. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro

He said the Albany councillors also "peddled false hopes" about an alternative solution to save nine holes at Takapuna Golf Course.

The council planned to turn half of the course into a floodwater catchment area to mitigate the city's increasing flood risks.

"Their solution is more expensive, and it failed independent reviews by other consulting engineers that we've had to pay for."

He denied that any Fix Auckland! aligned councillors would be required to vote in line with him if elected.

"The allegiance of my team is to Auckland and to rational financial decisions.

"Desley [Simpson], who's my deputy mayor and a close associate of mine, regularly votes against bits and pieces but not the big decisions that check the financial improvement of my city."

Fix Auckland! candidate Victoria Short defended her and Gary Brown's alignment with Wayne Brown.

"We want to have positive and constructive relationship with the mayor, focused on building a better city for our future. Albany voters want their councillors to be able to find solutions and work with their mayor - not pick fights and hold up sensible decisions.

"Our allegiance will be to the people who elect us in Albany - and Auckland. And they expect us to be credible and constructive."

Wayne Brown said several candidates had approached him about joining Fix Auckland.

"These people, I didn't really hunt for them. People came to me and said we'd like to work in a team to support what you're doing to fix Auckland."

In response to Wayne Brown's comments, Watson said the councillors regarded their attempts to intervene in the mayor's plans as a positive, not a negative.

"We've certainly had to be very active in confronting a series of damaging proposals from the mayor himself - such as his attempt to demolish and sell off North Harbour Stadium, the unscrupulous eviction of speedway from Western Springs, and his proposal to privatise the Port of Auckland."

He said the assertion he had not supported measures that would reduce ratepayer costs was "totally incorrect".

He cited a complaint he filed with Councillor Mike Lee to the Auditor-General over the council paying Australian consultants more than $3.6 million to advise on selling the port and its Auckland Airport shares.

The government watchdog criticised the decision, saying a contract awarded to Flagstaff Consulting Group should have been competitively tendered.

He firmly believed Takapuna Gold Course's 18-holes could be retained along with flood protection.

"That's not false hope - it's an entirely realistic option that should be pursued for the benefit of future generations."

Walker said Wayne Brown's comments were "his classic bully-boy behaviour".

"The measures we back are those that our communities want... even if that means going against the mayor.

"The alternatives to reduce flooding in the Wairau Catchment were developed by competent engineers working for Takapuna Golf Course and also independently in the community.

"There is also huge support from the wider community - including golfers - to keep the course as 18 holes.

"Yes we voted to retain the port of Auckland in council ownership. Now it's delivering nearly $2 million a week in profit to ratepayers."

Ports of Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Kymberlee Fernandes

The Albany Ward candidates

Including Watson and Walker, there were nine candidates competing for Albany's two council seats.

RNZ asked candidates who could be contacted for one sentence on why they wanted to be a councillor for Albany, and one sentence on a main issue they were concerned about for the area.

Fix Auckland candidate Gary Brown, was a previous chairperson and current deputy chairperson of the Hibiscus and Bays local board.

"I want to be your Albany councillor because I'm passionate about listening to the community, working with others, supporting local boards, and driving smart, future-focused investment in things like roads, parks, and new ideas.

"The biggest issue in our area is making sure we manage limited funds wisely while still investing in the critical infrastructure our growing community needs."

Gary Brown. Photo: Supplied

Fix Auckland's Victoria Short was deputy chairperson of the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board from 2019-2022.

"I want to represent the Albany Ward to ensure we have positive, collaborative representation around the council table that can bring progressive change to our community.

"I am deeply concerned about Albany's infrastructure and transport woes, and I'm committed to fronting these challenges directly to ensure our ward is a resilient and an even better place to call home."

Samuel Mills was ACT Local's candidate.

"I am standing to become a councillor as like many in the Albany area I am frustrated as a rate payer that we continue to pay more in rates but receive less in return, it is time we as rate payers remind Auckland Council who they answer to.

"The main issue facing rate payers in the Albany ward especially those on fixed incomes and pensions is the mythical 5.8 percent rate increase, 10 - 70 percent rate increases are unacceptable and I have signed the Taxpayers Union pledge to keep future council spending at levels resulting in rates that will be at or below inflation, our pensioners should not have to choose between the heat pump and their rates."

There were four independents: Callum Blair, Peter Davey, John McCallum, and Kyle Parker.

Houses in Albany.

Parker said he wanted to prioritise the needs of future generations.

"At the end of my life, I need to be able to say honestly to my loved ones and all future generations, that in all aspects of my life, I did everything I could to prioritise their long-term needs over my short-term wants, influence people and make the courageous decisions, that will make all their hard choices of the future so much easier.

"Most other local and central government politicians care more about getting re-elected in three year's time than securing our great grandchildren's future with long-term decision making, climate-safe infrastructure, local economic development, and inclusive democracy."