MEDIA RELEASE - ARC Chairman speaks out on Mäori repre sentation for the Super City

Ko te mea tuatahi me wehi ki te Kaihanga
Nāna nei ngā mea katoa i hanga
Ngā mate, Moe mai, Moe mai, Moe mai rā
Ka mihi atu ki ngā hapū, ngā iwi, te tangata whenua o tēnei rohe.
Tēnā koutou, Tēnā koutou , Tēnā katoa.

ARC Chairman Mike Lee has called on the Government to ensure better democratic representation for the new Auckland Council, including elected Maori representation based on parliamentary seats and enhanced responsibilities for community boards.

Mr Lee said the ARC had consistently advocated this approach unlike a number of other councils and mayors, whose submissions to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance seemed to be all about taking over neighbouring councils.

In its submission to the Royal Commission in April last year, the ARC recommended that a single unitary authority for Auckland be governed by councillors elected from parliamentary constituencies. That would have meant that there would have been 21 constituencies of around 60,000 residents each, plus three Mäori constituencies.

In its ‘one and the many’ model, the ARC also advocated a second tier of representation – community councils with enhanced and meaningful responsibilities to govern local communities.

Mr Lee called on the Government to heed calls from the public for more democracy and community participation in the Super City.

“A top down monolithic corporate entity is likely to be a failure. On the other hand, it is in everyone’s interest that the Super City does succeed. The ARC has been consistent in wanting to work with the Government to ensure that success.”

For the ARC’s full submission to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, please follow this link.

ENDS

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