Auckland Mayor Phil Goff will retire from politics and says he will not be seeking re-election this year.
In a statement, Goff said it's time to pass the baton to a new generation of leadership.
He said it's more than 40 years since he was first elected to office as MP for Roskill in 1981.
"It has been an absolute privilege to serve two terms as the Mayor of Auckland, the city I grew up in and that I love.
Goff thanked the people of Auckland, his wife and family and Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore.
"While the pandemic has created huge challenges, the city has made real progress over the last five and half years. We have made the biggest investments Auckland has ever seen in infrastructure for transport and water. This has reversed decades of underinvestment, where infrastructure spending did not keep up with population growth."
"We have taken big strides towards creating a sustainable environment, with measures to end the century-long problem of wastewater spilling onto our beaches and into our harbours, steps to contain the spread of kauri dieback, and predator control to revive our native bush and birdlife. Over 2 million native trees have been planted as part of the Mayor's Million Trees campaign, and the current budget proposes strong steps to tackle climate change.
"We have also implemented a living wage for council employees and our cleaning contractors.
"As Mayor, I am proud that I have been able to lead councillors to work collaboratively and constructively to meet the challenges of the pandemic and work towards our vision of creating a sustainable, inclusive and world-class city."
Goff said he would continue to give the role of mayor his full energy and commitment for the next seven months and would consider options for his future in due course.
RNZ
