Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) - New Zealand Parliament

3734 Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill 16 May 2009
time while the House is sitting, except during oral questions, during any evening on a
day on which there has been a sitting of the House, or on a Friday in a week in which
there has been a sitting of the House, and to meet outside the Wellington region during
the sitting of the House, despite Standing Orders 187, 189, and 190(1)(b) and (c).
Auckland is New Zealand’s only city of scale, and it is the country’s main gateway
to the world. Because of Auckland’s scale, Auckland’s and New Zealand’s success go
hand in hand. As a large and outward-looking city, Auckland can, and should,
contribute more to national prosperity and productivity than it does now.
Governance arrangements for the Auckland region have been a cause of concern for
at least the last 50 years. There have been some efforts by successive Governments to
address the problems, but those efforts have clearly been insufficient. How local
government is structured is important in determining what gets done, and, indeed, what
does not get done in Auckland. Governance arrangements affect the capacity to plan on
an integrated, region-wide basis, and the ability to solve large and longer-term
challenges effectively. Governance arrangements affect citizens’ ability to have a say
about what services and initiatives they value.
The previous Government commissioned the Royal Commission on Auckland
Governance to inquire into, investigate, and report on the local government
arrangements that are required in the Auckland region over the foreseeable future. After
wide consultation with Aucklanders, and consideration of over 3,500 submissions, the
royal commission reported to the Government on 25 March 2009. The royal
commission has done an admirable job of consulting with Aucklanders and formulating
their recommendations. I take this opportunity to thank the commissioners for their
work.
The royal commission’s report identified two broad, systemic problems evident in
current Auckland local government arrangements. Regional governance is weak and
fragmented, and community engagement is poor. The commission’s report addressed
the issues and identified solutions. In particular, it exhaustively described the range of
opinions in Auckland’s many communities. We accepted the key points of the
recommendations: one council for Auckland, one mayor with governance powers, one
long-term plan, and one rates bill.
We did not agree with the recommendations about Māori representation. That will
not come as a surprise. If the people of Auckland or the council want specific Māori
seats on the council, they already have the ability to enable that. The Government will
not impose the seats. We did not agree with the proposal to have six sub-councils. We
want more local representation, not less. We want communities to know they have their
own local representatives, so we have opted to have 20 to 30 local boards. I am proud
that places like Waiheke, which Nikki Kaye represents so well, for the first time will
have their proper local representation recognised in statute.
This Government has resolved to act. The Government aims to put the new structures
in place in time for the October 2010 local government elections. This short transition
period will minimise uncertainty and disruption for council staff and the public.
Legislation required to give effect to these decisions has been introduced as three
separate bills. We have tried to balance the need for action with the need for continued
democratic input. That is why we have split the legislation to effect reform into three
bills, of which this bill is the second.
The first urgent bill—the Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation)
Bill—provides the necessary legislative mechanisms for transition to the new Auckland
governance arrangements, which needs to occur as soon as possible in order to establish
the Auckland Council by 2010. That bill has proceeded through all stages under
urgency and without select committee consideration.