Statement from David Thornton.

Auckland Governance Proposals Must Be Treated With Caution.

Government Timetable A Recipe For Disaster

The proposal for a Royal Commission to look at a single 'super-council' for the Auckland region must be considered with caution.

While there is certainly a need to reduce the bureaucratic nightmare of the current governance system, there is also the need to retain the 'local' in local government.

The terms of reference must include a full review of what local or regional councils should do - and how it is paid for.

The final report of the Rates Inquiry is also due and its findings will have a major effect on proposals for funding the One Auckland council.

The chairman of the Rates Inquiry panel has already said that the present system of council rates will be unsustainable in 10 years time.

It would be stupid to prepare a major plan for the whole of Auckland without knowing how the projects in the plan would be paid for.

And rates are not the answer.

We cannot expect 21st century projects to be paid for by using 19th century funding systems.

The residents of Auckland should also be aware that the single super-council plan is being driven by the big business community - and so far ordinary citizens have had almost no input into these proposals.

I am also concerned at the timetable proposed by the Government which requires that the present councils set up the proposed Regional Sustainable Development Forum by 31st August.

But then the timetable requires newly elected local councils to reach agreement on transferring powers to the newly elected Auckland Regional Council by December - barely two months after being elected.

If, as a result of the October elections, there are major changes in the composition of the councils, newly elected councillors may well have insufficient time to reach properly considered decisions.

These governance proposals, together with the imminent report of the Rates Inquiry, will be major election issues and wholesale changes to council membership would be no surprise.

This time-table is a recipe for disaster, and must be amended to a more realistic start date after the elections, for which voting starts in little more than six weeks.

ends

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