December 15, 2006
Media release (For Immediate Release)
Waitakere Votes on Regional Governance
Waitakere City Council has endorsed a proposal to strengthen governance in the Auckland region.
Last night the Council considered a report produced by the Chief Executives of all the Territorial Local Authorities in
the region and voted to endorse, in principle, the general thrust of the paper.
The paper will now be sent to the Minister of Local Government along with the comments of various Councils with a view
to any changes in the structure of local government at a regional level being introduced before next year’s local body
elections.
Waitakere City Councils submission to the Minister will include a number of “bottom lines”, which are contained in the
following resolutions:
2515/2006
MOVED by Cr Clow, seconded Cr Battersby:
THAT THE STRENGTHENING AUCKLAND’S REGIONAL GOVERNANCE - PROPOSAL REPORT BE RECEIVED.
CARRIED
2516/2006
MOVED by Cr Clow, seconded Cr Battersby:
THAT WAITAKERE CITY COUNCIL ENDORSES, IN PRINCIPLE, THE PROPOSAL TO STRENGTHEN AUCKLAND’S REGIONAL GOVERNANCE AS A
SUBMISSION FROM THE AUCKLAND REGION TO THE GOVERNMENT BUT HAS GRAVE CONCERNS AT THE SHORT TIME PROVIDED TO CONSIDER
THESE ISSUES AND THE LACK, TO DATE, OF ANY PUBLIC CONSULTATION.
CARRIED
2517/2006
MOVED by Cr Clow, seconded Cr Battersby:
FURTHER, THE COUNCIL WISHES TO STATE ITS STRONG VIEWS ON THE FOLLOWING AND THAT THESE VIEWS BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN ANY
FINAL REFORM(S):
A) THAT NO DECISION ON DETAIL RELATING TO ELECTORAL STRUCTURE OF THE GREATER AUCKLAND COUNCIL BE MADE AT THIS STAGE
BUT BE DEVELOPED AND DISCUSSED DURING THE COMMUNITY CONSULTATION PHASE;
CARRIED
B) THAT THERE MUST BE NO CHANGE TO THE STRUCTURE AND/OR OWNERSHIP OF WATERCARE AND THAT THE NOTION OF VERTICAL
INTEGRATION MUST NOT BE GIVEN ANY FURTHER CONSIDERATION;
CARRIED
C) THAT THIS COUNCIL WISHES TO SEE ANY REGIONALLY FUNDED FACILITIES OWNED BY A REGIONAL ENTITY AND REQUISITE
FUNDING TO BE RAISED ON A FORMULA OTHER THAN A STRAIGHT POPULATION BASIS.
CARRIED
D) THAT THIS COUNCIL SUPPORTS THE CONCEPT OF A REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY BUT THAT LOCAL ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES SUCH AS ENTERPRISE WAITAKERE, CONTINUE TO DELIVER SERVICES LOCALLY.
CARRIED
2518/2006
MOVED by Cr Clow, seconded Cr Battersby:
THAT, IF BROAD AGREEMENT IS ACHIEVED AMONGST THE COUNCILS IN THE AUCKLAND REGION, THEN JOINT CO-ORDINATED PUBLIC
CONSULTATION ON THE PROPOSAL BE UNDERTAKEN IN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2007 AND THAT ANY CONSULTATION BE CARRIED OUT FOR A MINIMUM
OF 8 WEEKS.
CARRIED
2519/2006
MOVED by Cr Clow, seconded Cr Battersby:
THAT THE POLITICAL REFERENCE GROUP BE EMPOWERED TO CONDUCT ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNMENT MINISTERS AS TO THE
REFINEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY PROPOSAL AND THAT HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLOR PENNY HULSE (WITH COUNCILLOR
DEREK BATTERSBY AS ALTERNATE) CONTINUE TO REPRESENT WAITAKERE ON THIS GROUP.
CARRIED
2520/2006
MOVED by Cr Hulse, seconded Cr Dallow;
THAT MAYOR BOB HARVEY, CR BATTERSBY, CR HULSE AND ALL COUNCIL STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE STRENGTHENING OF
AUCKLAND’S REGIONAL GOVERNANCE PROPOSAL BE THANKED FOR THEIR GOOD WORK.
CARRIED
Mayor Bob Harvey says that the aim of the work is to improve leadership in the region, provide a “common voice for
Auckland”, and also to address funding issues, particularly in the area of transport.
“The Government placed tight timeline on us (Local Authorities) to pull together something coherent and that has
general agreement. I’m pleased that we have about 80% agreement on most of the issues and in some ways that tight
timeline was an advantage because it focussed everybody’s attention. We now want to work with Government to form up
something which the public can have meaningful input into.
“We need to hear from the public before we go any further”.
ENDS