Auckland Scorecard resonates with recent global surveys

Auckland Council has developed a scorecard to measure progress as it works toward becoming the world’s most liveable city.

In a speech to the Trans-Tasman Business Circle in Auckland today, mayor Len Brown released the results of the first Annual Auckland Scorecard, covering 19 measures across four liveability categories, including strong communities, fixing transport, economic powerhouse and healthy environments.

“Today I have put the line in the sand. The creation of any great city requires a clear vision and enough time to get there. The time has come to move from aspiration to implementation,” Mr Brown says.

“If we are determined to meet our challenge of making this the world’s most liveable city, then we must begin now.”

The first annual scorecard shows the index has lifted 2.4 percentage points since the creation of the supercity from a base index of 100, with progress being reflected in factors such as educational achievement (+0.7%), employment (+5.37%), household transport spending (-10.8%) and crime (-1.9%).

Several setbacks have also been reported, causing Auckland to slip back on several categories, including youth unemployment (+3.0%), carbon footprint (-0.48%) and housing affordability (-0.8%).

Auckland already rates highly on a number of indices rating the world’s most liveable cities, including Mercer’s 2011 Quality of Living Survey, which shows Auckland rising to third from last year's fourth place out of the world’s top 37 cities in its overall quality of living.

Other surveys show similar results with Auckland rated the world's 10^th most liveable city by the Economist Intelligence Unit and 13^th on Monocle magazine's Most Liveable Cities Index.

The leader of Mercer’s Information Product Solutions business, Georgina Harley, says an interest in clear and objective information on quality of living differences between cities is important to both organisations and governments.

“New Zealand remains an attractive destination for skilled workers who want a high quality of life coupled with economic and physical security. In contrast to Europe and the United States, New Zealand has a relatively strong economic outlook which increases its appeal as a safe haven from economic uncertainty,” Mercer says.

Auckland (3^rd) has reached the highest-ranking city for quality of life in the Asia Pacific region and is followed by Sydney (11^th) and Wellington (13^th) in the Mercer survey.

Mr Brown says that having a city that attracts and retains talent is about creating a winning formula.

“We can’t simply rely on being an innovative, economic powerhouse but need to couple that with sociable, supportive communities, unclogged transport options, natural spaces and people places.”

The Annual Auckland Scorecard will sit alongside broader indicators documented in the Auckland Plan.