Sir Barry Curtis, Mayor of Manukau,
A great leader, a great Mayor.
Sir Barry Curtis’ retirement from the mayoralty of Manukau City is reason to pause and reflect with gratitude and
respect for the man who worked for 39 years in public life and served Manukau for 24 years as Mayor.
Sir Barry was the third mayor of Manukau City following Hugh Lambie and Sir Lloyd Elsmore. He led a period of growth in
the development of the City that was always dynamic and sometimes explosive as new communities formed and settled into
operating patterns that reflected their culture and current socioeconomic positions.
With seemingly boundless energy, Sir Barry brought his own philosophy of “Social Equity” to this growth period and
through very strong leadership created the conditions for the growing population to have open access to its developing
services. By championing free access to pools, libraries and recreation centres and opposing user charges, he encouraged
the development of large numbers of people, young and old, to have a healthy and happy life that was not directly
dependant on their ability to pay.
The “Manukau Way” came to be his trademark and it framed up his social and city building initiatives. Sir Barry’s
frequent references to “this magnificent city” and “New Zealand’s most progressive city” are legendary. Together with
Colin Dale, City Manager for 18 years, he took many leading initiatives that balanced community development and economic
growth, a key feature of the “Manukau Way”.
His staunch commitment to holding strategic assets long term had its genesis in Hugh Lambie’s inspired land banking
scheme which was designed to future proof Manukau in its early years. Sir Barry’s unswerving commitment to the
importance of retaining our Airport shares has seen the value of this ratepayer asset grow from $30m in 1989 to $400m
today.
There is scarcely a square inch of land in this city that has not been touched or influenced by Sir Barry during his 39
years of leadership. He forged a very early and strong relationship with Mana Whenua in Manukau at the time of the claim
on the Manukau Harbour and worked cooperatively with tangata whenua in all aspects of the city’s growth.
Sir Barry saw his role to span the geographical, ethnic and social divides to connect the diverse people of Manukau. His
undoubted ability to do that and his untiring energy and love for people won him the overwhelming support from the
diverse interest groups across the city.
Within the Council Sir Barry brought very sharp political skills and a strong grasp of the issues and their history. He
has been formidable in the council chamber and with stirring oratory could turn a politically hopeless position that he
considered correct into one that attracted the support of his council colleagues.
Always politically astute, Sir Barry challenged the city when he felt it necessary. He championed the Telstra Pacific
Event Centre in the face of major public concern, standing his ground in support of the vision of a cultural and social
centre for Manukau. History has proven he was right with the Telstra Pacific Event Centre attracting extensive ongoing
business, effectively as our Town Hall.
As we move forward to a new era, I personally acknowledge Sir Barry’s wisdom and example of service to our people and to
our city. He has been a great Mayor and continues to be a great leader and citizen of Manukau.
ENDS