Taking the “Local” out of Local Government

The Auckland Transition Agency (ATA) is taking the “local” out of local government, the Green Party said today.

Today the ATA released a discussion document about local boards, but with no detail about their roles and responsibilities

"Given the powers vested in the mayor and council, it is critical that second tier local boards have real power and sufficient resources to provide balance,” said Green MP David Clendon.

"All we have heard today are abstract, 'in principle' statements, with far too little substance. This is totally unacceptable only months before nominations will open for the boards.

“During submissions on the second Super City Bill, submitters were told that the powers of local boards would be spelt out in the third. 

“We are now told that at best this information will not emerge until May, only weeks before nominations open for aspiring candidates.

“Rodney Hide’s failure to fulfil this promise has been a major source of anger of submitters on the third bill,” said Mr Clendon.

“We have heard that the powerful new Council Controlled Organisations 'may' consult with boards; 'may invite' input from boards, which gives us no reassurance that local voices will be heard when major infrastructure, economic and social decisions are being made.

“Perhaps the prefix ‘local’ should be dropped from Mr Hide’s ministerial warrant.”

"The presentation today is a continuation of a process that has been rushed. It’s not democratic. It can’t deliver good law and it’s not honest politics,” said Mr Clendon.

Click on link for full update:

 Communiqué 2010 | T uesday 16 March | Maori and the Future of Local Government

A discussion document on Local Boards of the Auckland Council has been released by the ATA. More information is available on the Auckland Council pages of this site. Feedback is invited at www.discussiondocuments.co.nz. Feedback closes on Friday 26 March 2010.

 

Submitters List for today's Select Committee Hearing

Download Submitters List for today's Select Committee Hearing

CC4A Submission on the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill

Download CC4A's Submission on the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill

 

Dear Friends,

The ARC has realised that the Bill repeals the section of the Local Govt Amendment Act 1992 that empowers the ARC to own the Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland including the Auckland Centennial Memorial Park. This could be a prelude to nationalising the parkland as promised by some National MPs during the last election.

Please read my attached (Below) letter and help by sending a submission to

 

Committee Secretariat

Auckland Governance Legislation

Parliament Buildings

Wellington

(2 copies in writing)

or email the submission to

AGL@parliament.govt.nz

 Only a brief submission is needed and wording is suggested in my letter.

Submissions close Friday 12 February.

 Regards Sandra Coney

Chair Parks and Heritage

 

Auckland Regional Council

 

 

 

Dear Friends,

This is a last minute call for concerned people to make urgent submissions about a specific part of

the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill regarding the Waitakere Ranges Regional

Parkland, which is strongly opposed by the Auckland Regional Council.

This may have missed your attention.

In Schedule 3 (page 163), the Bill proposes to repeal section 77 of the Local Government

Amendment Act 1992. Section 77(1) states that:

 

“The Auckland Regional Council shall continue to hold, for the purposes of a scenic park and

 

 

settlement and progress in the Metropolitan District of Auckland, the l

Auckland Centennial Memorial Park” and any other land acquired by the Council or its

predecessors for the purposes of that park.”

 

We could have expected that the only change necessary here was to change the words “Auckland

 

Regional Counci

 

The ARC is unclear as to why this deletion is proposed instead of a simple name change for the

council. However, it is deeply worrying.

 

If it is the Government’s intention to nationalise the park, this should have been stated clea

public and stakeholders so that they could submit against it. Of course, some national MPs ran for

election on a policy of nationalising the Waitakere parkland, so maybe this is the agenda?

Nationalising the parkland would take it beyond the accountability of local representatives - the

future of the park could be very uncertain.

 

The ARC’s management of the park, especially its biosecurity and heritage programmes, are world

 

standard and there is a substantial budget and workforce dedicated to running the park. The

standard of service offered by the ARC is higher than that to be found in national parks.

The Auckland Centennial Memorial Park was created by the people of Auckland for the people of

Auckland who subscribed to support this. It has subsequently been developed with ratepayer

monies, but there have been many gifts of land which have been incorporated into the park.

 

The ARC is seeking your support to make a submission advocating that section 77 (1) is not

repealed but that there is a simple amendment to replace the reference to Auckland Regional

Council to Auckland Council.

 

Even if you have already made a submission, you can make an additional one.

Thank you for your support to keep the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park in the ownership and

management of the people of Auckland.

Sandra Coney

Chair Parks and Heritage

Auckland Regional Council

 

Passing Go – Update from Conference Organising Team  

“The Supercity has been all about saving money.  This conference is a major opportunity to put the most important things of all for Auckland on the agenda - people and communities.  Come, listen and be heard!”

John Raeburn - North Shore Community Activist

 The new Auckland Council structures will have a deep and lasting impact on community groups and the people and issues they represent.   The “Passing Go” conference will look at social issues in Auckland and how the governance changes will affect community development and the delivery of services.  The “Passing Go” conference aims to influence the government to make changes now.

It is crucial that community agencies in the region engage in this debate before we pass go, before it is too late!

“Passing Go” is open for registration with a limited number of seats now offered for community groups and students  at half price ($45).

Register online at www.passing-go.org

 

 

Serious concerns remain over Auckland SuperCity

The SuperCity model proposed in the Local Government (Auckland Council) bill remains deeply flawed, said the Green Party today 

“While some improvements have been made, a significant power imbalance remains between the all powerful Auckland SuperCity and the tiny four to nine-member local boards,” Green Party Auckland Issues Spokesperson Sue Bradford said.

“We are totally opposed to the lack of separate Maori seats, the excessive powers of the Mayor, and the government’s refusal to allow STV elections,” Ms Bradford said.

“Local government works best when it is genuinely local,” Green Party Local Government Spokesperson Sue Kedgley said. “But the Auckland Council will be so huge and powerful it will effectively be a form of state government, not local government.

 “Unfortunately the local boards - without any staff of their own and with only four to nine elected representatives – won’t be able to effectively counterbalance the power of the Auckland Council, one of New Zealand’s largest organisations, with up to 6000 staff and controlling $28 billion worth of assets,” Ms Kedgley said.

 Ms Bradford said the lack of provision for Maori representation on the new Council was disgraceful, and an abrogation of our obligations under the Treaty. 

“The absence of Maori representation means it is even more important that the voting system used is STV, for both the Mayor and Councillors. Under first past the post we could end up with a Mayor who has been voted in by less than a quarter of the city’s population,” Ms Kedgley said.

“We are also opposed to the excessive executive powers of the Mayor,” Ms Kedgley said. “If unchecked we could end up with a Mayor who is a sort of Czar of Auckland.”

Aucklanders show overwhelming support for keeping assets in public hands
       
       

Poll results tabled by North Shore City at the super city select committee show high levels of support for keeping assets in public hands, says Labour's Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford.

Phil Twyford said his member's bill protecting community assets from sale by the new super city had been pulled from the ballot and was due for a first reading in three weeks.

“North Shore City’s Colmar Brunton poll of 800 residents showed 89% agree the supply of water should remain in public council ownership and not be privatised and 85% agreed that publicly owned strategic community assets such as the port and the Auckland Airport should remain in public council ownership under the new super city.

"Those figures should echo around the city as a resounding endorsement of Labour's campaign to ensure Auckland's community assets are protected from privatisation under the super city.

"Mayor Williams spoke strongly on the public's desire to keep assets in public ownership. He said water was liquid gold, and all over the world water privatisation had caused huge problems. He said privatisation of Auckland's ports would undermine efforts to open up the waterfront to public access; and that important infrastructure assets like the Auckland Airport could deliver a revenue stream that could go back to help the community."

Phil Twyford said he was urging the public to write to their local National MP asking them to vote for his bill.

More information on Labour's campaign to protect Auckland assets is available at www.notyourstosell.co.nz

Contact - Phil Twyford 027 444 9161.

Banks out of step with Aucklanders     
       
Auckland City mayor John Banks appearing before the select committee this morning showed he was out of step with much of public opinion on aspects of the super city Bill, said Labour’s Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford.

“Mayor Banks, a declared candidate for the super-mayoralty, made the case for a minimum of 8 councillors in the new Auckland Council to be elected at large, arguing that when he was a councillor representing Birkenhead on the regional council early in his political career he was first and foremost focused on getting re-elected, and looking after the votes in his local ward,” Phil Twyford said.

Phi Twyford said that after a week of submissions there was a strong weight of submission in favour of councillors being elected from wards.

“People are worried that including at-large councilors would mean over-representation by the eastern suburbs, as was the case before the ward system was introduced to Auckland City and slso that the expense of campaigning across a city of 1.4 million would mean only the rich and famous would stand.”

Phil Twyford said he was confident ward-based councilors would be able to transcend parochial concerns. The key was to clearly separate out the regional and local responsibilities of the super-council and local councils.

“Discussion of Mayor Banks' submission also focused on the controversial question of the powers of local boards. Auckland City proposed that the new super city council would delegate powers to the local councils, and be given the flexibility to shape the roles of super-council and local councils over time.

“This was out of step with many other submissions which asked that the powers of local boards would be clearly mandated in legislation and not left up to the discretion of the Auckland Council,” Phil Twyford said.

"Auckland City has starved its community boards of powers and budget. They are not a good example for the super city. It offers a good case study of why the powers of local councils should be set out in law and not left up to the discretion of the super-council."

“Mayor Banks made a passionate presentation in favor of the new unitary council but that is a no-brainer. We all want to see strengthened regional governance. The committee is grappling with how to balance that with preserving local democracy. The public clearly want a strong local say for local communities. Mayor Banks, with his advocacy for at-large councilors, and lukewarm support for mandated empowered local councils, is out of step,” Phil Twyford said.

For more info contact Phil Twyford -  027 444 9161

Paanui for Mauangawhau Dawn Vigil this week - nau mai haere mai - click here for leaflet

-JOIN THE DAWN VIGIL ON MAUNGAWHAU / MT EDEN SUMMIT EACH MORNING THIS WEEK 7AM –8AM FOR OUR RIGHTS, FOR OUR MOKOPUNA

NAU MAI HAERE MAI!

 

If you sent a submission into the Select Committee on the Local Government (Auckland Council) bill then you should have had acknowledgement back from the select committee by now.

Times for people who wished to appear before the select committee to speak to their submissions are being gradually being allocated.

CC4A have had acknowledgement of their submission but have not received confirmation of their time for attendance at the hearing. We will keep you informed as we receive notification.

 

Dear Supporter,              IT’S TIME TO DIG DEEP FOR DEMOCRACY!

 

The campaign to bring community voices to the decision making table on Regional Governance has reached a critical point, and now is the time when we have to call on you to put your hands as deep into your pocket as you can, to help us get the campaign to the next stage.

 

The Hikoi on May 25^th was magnificent!  It  gave great heart to all of us, proving again that Aucklanders of all cultures are united in supporting Maori in their rights to representation, and determined to have our fair say in the future of our communities and region.

 

However, almost before it took place, the government was dismissing it, and referring all of us to the Special Select Committee process, as being apparently the only way they will recognise for people to put their views. It’s obvious that the road back to a democratic and equitable system of local government in Auckland will be a long, and costly one.

 

The Community Coalition for Auckland-Voices of Tamaki Makaurau has long recognised this and we are preparing for a strenuous, long term campaign, working with other sister organisations, and communities across the region at all levels.

 

It is still being planned, and ideas are welcomed, but we know it will include public demonstrations of various kinds, and work on the Select Committee process.

 

In the immediate future, cc4a is focussing a lot of attention on the Select Committee process. It is currently hopelessly inadequate to deliver what we call for, and we are working hard to change that. We have a very short time period when we can influence the process, so we’re going for it!

 

Our campaign will include high level legal advice, lobbying, workshops and submission preparation. We want the best possible people working with us, at the highest levels, to have the maximum chance of success.

 

To do that properly, we need money.

 

We know our communities don’t come with silver spoons attached, but we can rally round when its needed, and it’s needed now!

 

On the Obama principle, many people giving a little is better than a few giving a lot. Now if we can just combine those, get a few to give a lot, and many to give a little, we’d be cooking with gas…!

 

It’s easy to donate, Here are some options:

 

1.      Cheque: make your cheque out to ‘Community Coalition for Auckland’ and post to ‘CC4A, PO Box 15215, New Lynn’

2.      Internet Banking: transfer your donation directly to the CC4A bank account number 02-0184-0450646-001 with ‘Your Name’ in the Particulars field, and ‘Donation’ in the Reference field

 

To clarify any details about how to make a donation, please phone 826 4276.

 

Please take a few minutes to contribute, as little or as much as you can manage, everything helps

 

Many thanks, for a democratic Auckland

 

CC4A Coordination Group 

 

1. We are demanding that Auckland Governance be based on the best of the  Royal Commission on Auckland Governance's Report .
2. Maori representation on the one Auckland Council be guaranteed.
3. All Councillors elected by wards, not at large from the greater Auckland region.
4. Replace the suggested 20-30 Community Boards and replace them with a 6-11 Council model with real powers on local matters.
5. Several select committee hearings held in each current local authority area.

We recognise there is a need for change & reform in the Region's governance and are not advocating that the status quo should remain.

We are seeking that government "Do it once, do it right - do it with us, not to us!"


Find out why we're making these demands here...

Take Action in Your Community!

• Contact us and join the Coalition - the stronger our voice the harder we are to ignore
• Spread the word to your networks via email, txt, word of mouth or any other way you can
• Protest! - Organise a rally in YOUR city!
• Organise public meetings in your area - we will be happy to attend and speak to your community
• Tell your MP your views - via email is best - use our letter page here.. or download a list of MPs' emails here..
• Forums – put your views and post documents and news about what's happening in your area
• Join our Facebook group and follow us on Twitter
• Keep checking our News page- it will have the latest press releases and information; if something is happening in your area send in the news so we can post it

Coming soon...

• A submission writing toolkit, to make writing a submission to the select committee hearing easy.

Keep watching, talking, join the movement for better change.