8 November 2004

Progressive, sustainable development key to new council

A report proposing a new structure of eight policy and six operational committees will be considered by the new Auckland City Council on Thursday.

Deputy Mayor Dr Bruce Hucker developed the proposed structure in close consultation with His Worship the Mayor Dick Hubbard. Councillors and senior staff were also consulted on the structure that would replace the previous council’s 11 equivalent committees. The full council will consider the recommendation when it meets at 6pm on 11 November.

“I’m passionate about good governance and believe this proposed structure represents good governance practice. The emphasis is on areas that are of concern to the people of Auckland,” said Mr Hubbard.

The structure separates day-to-day operations from the policy, planning and partnership function. The report’s author Dr Hucker says this allows us to keep a strategic focus while ensuring the city operates smoothly.

“Councillors will not receive any more money under this structure but there will be more call in terms of time and effort,” he says.

The council has an obligation under the Local Government Act to promote sustainable development. “This council wants to make sure that the decisions we make today put us on the right path for the future,” says Dr Hucker. “In practice this means our decision-making process must consider all the four wellbeings: economic, environmental, social and cultural.

“These key priorities are signalled in some committee names like Arts, Culture and Recreation, Environmental Heritage and Urban Form, Economic Development and Sustainable Business, and Community Development and Equity,” he says. As well as committees themed around the four “wellbeings”, the proposed structure includes a committee to take an overarching, balancing view of the issues facing the city and another to tackle vital transport and urban linkages:

Auckland City Council 2004 - 2007 Proposed committee structure
1. Policy committees:
2.
3. Monthly Arts, Culture and Recreation Community Development and Equity Economic Development and Sustainable Business Environmental Heritage and Urban Form Transport and Urban Linkages Urban Strategy and Governance Bi-monthly Partnerships Public Safety and Community Order 1. Operational committees:
2.
3. Weekly Planning Fixtures Monthly Finance and Corporate Business Planning and Regulatory Works and Services Bi-monthly Zoo Art Gallery

Notes:

Nineteen councillors plus the Mayor sit on the Auckland City Council, which was sworn in on 21 October and will meet at least monthly. Many of the decisions involved with running the city are made by smaller groups of councillors, called committees, which are set at the beginning of the three-year term of council. These are given specific delegated authority from council.

The number of committees does not affect the total annual pool of money allocated to the payment of Auckland City’s Mayor, councillors and community board members, which is currently capped at $1,568,000 (this is set by the Higher Salaries Commission which will revise the figure in mid-2005). As well as considering the committee structure, the 11 November council meeting will include the appointment of chairs and councillors to committees. Additional information will be distributed to media following the meeting, including the full list of committee chairs and members. 2001 – 2004 Auckland City Council committee structure

Weekly Regulatory and Fixtures Monthly City Development Community Services Finance and Corporate Business Law and Order Recreation and Events Strategy and Governance Transport Works Quarterly Art Gallery Enterprise Board Zoo Enterprise Board

ENDS

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