Auckland Council will slash its travel budget by 30 percent and freeze staff levels in many parts of the organisation.
Travel costs must fall by $600,000. Photo: Flickr
Domestic and international travel costs must fall by $600,000, under new targets, and more video conferencing will be used.
Staff levels in much of the council will be frozen at almost 6100 full-time equivalents, although up to 211 employees can be added in growth-driven areas such as resource consenting.
Staff numbers have effectively flat-lined in the past couple of years.
The travel cut plan pre-dates the recent row over the council's use of business-class travel.
The targets have been written into an agreement between the councillors and the city's chief executive. They also include improving staff satisfaction and engagement, and customer satisfaction.
Councillor John Watson said the reduction was a start but still did not address business class travel.
"Councillor Efeso Collins wants a total cut to business class travel for a start and I think given there is now an overall reduction, well clearly if we want to make the dollar go further, we can take business class travel out altogether and then get more travel if it is needed for the ratepayer dollar."
