Media Release
City Vision-Labour Councillors - Auckland City Council
For Immediate Release
Tuesday 12 May 2009

Waiheke Waste Questions Still Unanswered

This Thursday morning, Auckland City Council’s City Development Committee will be meeting to make decisions on the tender for Waiheke island waste services.  Some councillors are nervous about going ahead with making decisions on the agenda item.

Numerous questions have recently been asked of Auckland City Council’s Chief Executive and General Manager (City Development) on Waiheke waste tender processes but no answers have yet been forthcoming.  Without this crucial information, Councillors Glenda Fryer and Leila Boyle feel it is inappropriate for the committee to make decisions without full information being to hand.

Councillor Glenda Fryer said, “In light of the recent public debacle over footpath and roading tenders, I think it is extremely important that any tender process issues are resolved to councillors’ satisfaction, and well in advance of the committee decision on Thursday morning.”

Councillor Leila Boyle said, “Council’s reputation is on the line here.  Our meeting has just been moved to a much larger venue (second floor, Town Hall) so clearly a large number of Waihekeans are expected to attend.  We owe it to the people of Waiheke to make sure all outstanding questions are answered before the decision on which company will be awarded the tender is made.”

Councillor Fryer continued, “At a time when the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance has recommended, and the Local Government Minister has announced, that no far reaching decisions should be made during the transition period, and when Auckland Regional councillors have asked for a postponement of this decision, it is incumbent upon us that we pause for a month and make any decisions with full information in front of us.”

Councillor Boyle concluded, “We are calling for the tender decisions to be deferred until the committee meeting to be held on 11 June 2009 or the full Council meeting on 28 May 2009 to make sure any decisions are made with all relevant information available.”

ENDS

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