Business group welcomes Fix Auckland campaign

16 July 2007

Media release

Newmarket Business Association

Great news lunatics will no longer be running the asylum

Business group welcomes Fix Auckland campaign

A key Auckland business lobby group says the Fix Auckland campaign launched today by the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) is a truly welcomed a ray of light on a bleak and cold winter's day.

“Having bureaucrats from Auckland’s eight councils hatching their plan for local government rationalisation in secret is like having lunatics in charge of an asylum. Only Aucklanders can fix Auckland and that is exactly what Fix Auckland aims to achieve.

"Auckland's mayors failed dismally last year when they unsuccessfully tried to convince Wellington of a united Auckland. What’s more, it has been outrageous that Auckland’s eight councils have since been working on a report for the Government without any public consultation. Fix Auckland is about consulting Aucklanders first and foremost,” said Cameron Brewer, head of the Newmarket Business Association.

Mr Brewer said any bureaucrats’ plan for Auckland will be a compromise at the very least.

“All of them will be naturally reluctant to surrender power and so any recommendation will be a complete compromise. Only passionate everyday Aucklanders will have the motivation to do what needs to be done.

“The real concern is that the bureaucrats’ plan for Auckland will be all about protecting their own patch. We need to do better than having three cities and one Lord Mayor just so the four old mayors each have job. It’s time to get bold and it's time to get public buy-in otherwise all efforts will fail.

“We salute the EMA for standing up to the bureaucrats and shifting the focus back onto the Auckland people – where it belongs,” said Mr Brewer.

The Newmarket Business Association is the biggest Auckland business association operating outside the CBD. It represents the region’s leading shopping district and second commercial district.

ENDS

www.newmarket.net.nz

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