Government Announcement on Auckland

Amid the widespread debate from the Government's announcements on Auckland, two things are clear: there is still significant detail to be worked through, and time and resource pressures mean that it will be the only Government-led local government structural change before the 2010 elections.

 

Our biggest area of concern with Auckland remains how the local boards will operate. Despite the good intentions of the Royal Commission and the Government, we still do not have a model for this second-tier of local government that meets our basic principles of local autonomy, local decision-making and local accountability.

 

However, there is sufficient goodwill and experience among everyone involved to develop an acceptable solution to defining the roles and responsibilities of local boards and how they interact with the Auckland Council.  Of course, not all the decisions made over the coming months will be to everyone's liking but we want to make sure the new governance model is a success. 

 

For Local Government New Zealand, the process is multi-faceted: we work to represent member interests while identifying policy solutions that will ensure local representation and democracy is maintained and enhanced.  

 

There are no wider implications for local government across New Zealand arising from Auckland's reform - unless individual councils specifically request it.  

 

In the short term, it is up to councils and communities to determine if the changes proposed for Auckland could be the trigger for more wide-spread change - the Auckland model represents an opportunity for councils advocating change rather than a solution to be imposed on the whole country. 

 

Besides, it is clear that, even with the greatest of wills, there simply wouldn't be enough time between now and the local elections in 2010 for considerations of such magnitude to be worked through to a satisfactory conclusion. So let's wait a while, and see if it works in Auckland first.

 

There is a significant amount of work ahead in redefining how Auckland will operate, working through transition issues and how the new entities will work with other councils around New Zealand. Local Government New Zealand will continue to support and assist the views of our members throughout the process.

 

Lawrence Yule

President, Local Government New Zealand