Royal Commission of Inquiry into Auckland Governance
Media Release 12 December, 2007
All Aucklanders encouraged to have their say
Aucklanders will be encouraged to have their say on how they want to see their region run when the submission process
begins early next year, the Royal Commission into Auckland Governance announced today.
A Commission consisting of chair, Hon Peter Salmon QC, Dame Margaret Bazely and David Shand was appointed on 29 October
to report on what is needed to achieve Auckland’s potential to be a truly internationally competitive city to live, work
and do business.
“We want to put Auckland’s future in the hands of Aucklanders,” said Justice Salmon. “The success of this inquiry
depends on getting the widest feedback possible from the people of Auckland, from our diverse communities and every walk
of life.
“We will be calling for public submissions in February or March and will aim to engage as wide a cross-section as
possible. We would like to keep our procedures as informal as possible. We want people to feel comfortable talking to us
directly. In other words, we don’t expect people to have to engage legal representation.”
Justice Salmon said the Commission was particularly interested in the public’s views on how local government should be
structured in Auckland, and the governance and representation arrangements needed to provide effective leadership and
adequate representation for the various communities within the Auckland region.
“The Commission’s aim is to recommend a form of local body governance which will serve Auckland well now, and for the
next 50 years”, said Justice Salmon. “This means thinking carefully about what the future holds for Auckland – its
identity, the competitive and other pressures on Auckland, its ethnic mix, and Auckland’s place in the Pacific and the
world.”
Full details on the submission process will be released early next year. The Terms of Reference for the Inquiry are
available on the Royal Commission’s website (www.royalcommission.govt.nz). The Royal Commission is due to report back by
1 December, 2008.
ENDS