Auckland ! it is time to celebrate but there is no time to rest on our laurels. While I am typing other cities competing against us are making big plans to dethrone us. I hope that these results don't make the little grey and repressed men at the city council think that they have done enough - HARDLY ! Thankfully for Auckland, design, creativity and architecture is not one of the criteria that we were judged on. Now for the big news -
Auckland has moved up one spot from 5th in 2008 to 4th spot in 2009 for quality of living. Vienna topped the 2009 Worldwide Quality of Living Survey, but Australia fared well with Sydney placed 10th, Melbourne 18th, Perth 21st, Adelaide 30th and Brisbane 34th. Apart from Sydney, Auckland was the only other southern hemisphere city to make the top 10. The survey, compiled by global consultancy firm Mercer to help calculate remuneration packages for expatriate workers, ranked 215 cities against a range of political, social, economic, environmental, personal safety and public service criteria. "Both Australia and New Zealand (Wellington ranked 12th) boast some of the most liveable cities in the world," Mercer spokesman Rob Knox said yesterday. For further information please visit: MERCER INDEX
This survey only paints the picture for the suburban lifestyle that Auckland is renowned for. Its kinda sad really because most of the Aucklanders will CONTINUE thinking they live in some sort of a paradise when again-it is nothing special at all. And it gives officials another excuse to do nothing yet again!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope that the people at ACC don't rest on their laurels. What they actually need is a fire under their asses and ONE city council. Auckland is great for families, second to none, but do we want to become a huge nursery ? No ! Imagine how great Auckland will be if we combine a great family city with the likes of the creativity & sense of adventure that exists in Melbourne.
ReplyDeleteWe will definitely be NUMBER ONE !
The Mercer survey only survey's quality of life issues for white men working in finance/insurance/law/general big companies.
ReplyDeleteIt does not survey quality of life issues for working families, solo mums, differently abled people, our rangitahi, our elders.
The Mercer survey is very very mis-leading.
I see what you are saying but we must remember that white men form the majority here but I personally know a black man from Nigeria who is not so well off and he finds the quality of living here second to none. It is also safe to say that there is no competition between Africa and New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteAlso, one of my best friends is Maori and he is very well off - through hard work and determination. He would beg to differ with you but yes, working families, solo mums, differently abled people and our rangitahi will also find it difficult in other cities on this planet - probably more so than Auckland.
We don't know how lucky we are :)