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Regional Governance Committee
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MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE
REGIONAL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
HELD ON TUESDAY, 23 JUNE 2009 AT 2:30 PM
IN THE COMMITTEE ROOM, LEVEL 15
CIVIC ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
1 GREYS AVENUE
AUCKLAND

PRESENT: Deputy Mayor David Hay, JP Chairperson
  Councillors: Aaron Bhatnagar Deputy Chairperson
    Douglas Armstrong, QSO  
    Leila Boyle  
    John Lister, OBE  
    Richard Northey, ONZM  
  His Worship the Mayor John Banks, QSO [until 2:50pm, item 5. from 3:02pm, item 5. until 3:52pm, item 5. from 4:00pm, item 5]
  Mr Bruce Kilmister [non voting member]
ALSO PRESENT Councillors Ken Baguley  
    Cathy Casey  
    Bill Christian  
    Graeme Easte  
    Glenda Fryer [until 3:48pm, item 5]
    Noelene Raffills [from 3:33pm, item 5]

  1. Top APOLOGIES

    There were no apologies.

  2. Top CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

    That the minutes of the Regional Governance Committee meeting held on Thursday, 14 May 2009 be confirmed as a true and correct record.

    CARRIED

  3. Top EXTRAORDINARY BUSINESS

    There was no extraordinary business.

  4. Top PUBLIC FORUM

    There were no requests to speak in public forum.

  5. Top SUBMISSION ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT (AUCKLAND COUNCIL) BILL

    The Chairperson moved:

    That it be a recommendation to Council:

    1. That Council adopts Auckland City Council's submission on the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill based on the following policy positions, for its submission to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee:
    Issue Policy position
    Local boards
    • principles are included to strengthen the role of local boards including:
      • all local decisions should be determined at a local level, except where Auckland-wide considerations make this inappropriate
      • more recognition should be given to the role that local boards will have in building local identity and community (otherwise known as "place-shaping")
    • favour the lower end of the proposed range of 20-30 local boards but acknowledge that the Local Government Commission needs to undertake the work on communities of interest to help determine the number. The Local Government Commission, when determining the number, needs to consider both the need for good local representation and the need for the boards to play an effective role
    • membership of the local boards to range from four to nine.
    Role of the mayor
    • the mayor will promote a vision for Auckland
    • the mayor will appoint the deputy mayor
    • the mayor will appoint the chairperson of each key strategic committee
    • the mayor will develop the high level direction for the draft long-term council community plan and draft annual plan for consideration by the Auckland Council
    • an executive committee will be established with the mayor and chairs of each key strategic committee to address important issues with central government, promote the vision for Auckland and assist in the development of the mayor's high-level direction
    • the mayor will establish a mayoral office which may be larger than the status quo.
    Representation
    • support a maximum of 29 councillors with a minimum of eight at large councillors, and a maximum of 21 elected by wards, with the number and proportion to be determined by the Local Government Commission
    • support the government's decision not to provide Maori seats
    • support the Auckland Council providing an appropriate mechanism to engage meaningfully with Maori
    • Watercare's dams, the areas upstream from the dams, and any areas containing Watercare's pipelines relating to the dams be retained within the Auckland boundary.
    Water and wastewater integration
    • vertical and horizontal integration of the water and wastewater industry is supported
    • integration led by Watercare is supported.
    1. That a working party of the Regional Governance Committee comprising of the Chairperson, Cr Armstrong and Cr Northey be delegated authority to finalise the wording of the submission.
    2. That His Worship the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and the chief executive be delegated to represent council at the hearings of the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee.

    Councillor Boyle moved the following amendments:

    That the following amendments be made to the Local boards section:

    • principles are included to strengthen the role of local boards including:
      • the local boards be renamed local councils or community councils

    LOST

    • all local decisions should be determined at a local level, except where Auckland-wide considerations make this inappropriate
    • more recognition should be given to the role that local boards will have in building local identity and community (otherwise known as "place-shaping")
    • the local boards (local or community councils) have a clear governance role on local issues

    WITHDRAWN

    • the local boards have an appropriate budget

    CARRIED

    • triennial agreements determine the location of those roles which could be carried out at either level

    Secretarial note: it was agreed that this matter should be covered by way of comment in the submission.

    • widen the proposed range to 15-35 local boards but acknowledge that the Local Government Commission needs to undertake the work on communities of interest to help determine the number. The Local Government Commission, when determining the number, needs to consider both the need for good local representation and the need for the boards to play an effective role, while noting that all the areas currently having a community board in Auckland City are capable of carrying this out

    LOST

    • membership of the local boards to range from four to nine
    • local boards (local or community councils) shall be represented on a Unitary Authority or Forum together with Auckland Council members and also joint committees and working parties with the Auckland Council.

    LOST

    Secretarial note: it was agreed to comment in the submission that further work was necessary on area committees.

    That the following amendments be made to the Role of the Mayor section:

    • the mayor will promote a vision for Auckland
    • the Auckland Council, not the mayor, will appoint the deputy mayor

    LOST

    • the Auckland Council, not the mayor, will appoint the chairpersons of all committees

    LOST

    • an executive committee will be established with the mayor and chairs of each key strategic committee to address important issues with central government, promote the vision for Auckland and assist in the development of the Council's high-level direction (note that this was originally the fifth bullet point)

    LOST

    • the executive committee will develop the high level direction for the draft long-term council community plan and draft annual plan for consideration by the Auckland Council (note that this was originally the fourth bullet point)

    LOST

    • the mayor will establish a mayoral office which may be larger than the status quo.
    • the mayor, and preferably all other positions, be elected by STV to ensure they have a mandate.

    LOST

    Councillor Northey moved the following amendments:

    That the following amendments be made to the Representation section:

    • support a maximum of 29 councillors, no at large councillors and all to be elected by wards, with the number to be determined by the Local Government Commission

    LOST

    • advocate to provide geographically based Maori seats elected from the Maori roll with their number proportionate to the population they represent, i.e. probably 2 seats initially

    LOST

    • support the Auckland Council providing an appropriate mechanism to engage meaningfully with Maori
    • Ward boundaries to be flexible to follow population changes but the local boards may have relatively fixed boundaries to follow communities of interest

    CARRIED

    • Watercare's dams, the areas upstream from the dams, and any areas containing Watercare's pipelines relating to the dams be retained within the Auckland boundary.

    That the following amendments be made to the Water and wastewater integration section:

    Add the following two bullet points:

    • advocate for the addition of measures to prevent the privatisation of Watercare or of its major assets and for strategic planning for the three waters specifically to be undertaken by the Auckland Council for Watercare.

    WITHDRAWN

    • establish an independent Performance monitor as recommended by the Royal Commission.

    WITHDRAWN

    Secretarial note: it was agreed that the above two bullet points would be addressed by officers when commenting on the Third Bill.

    The Chairperson put the following substantive motion:

    That it be a recommendation to Council:

    1. That Council adopts Auckland City Council's submission on the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill based on the following policy positions, for its submission to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee:
    Issue Policy position
    Local boards
    • principles are included to strengthen the role of local boards including:
      • all local decisions should be determined at a local level, except where Auckland-wide considerations make this inappropriate
      • more recognition should be given to the role that local boards will have in building local identity and community (otherwise known as "place-shaping")
      • local boards have an appropriate budget
    • favour the lower end of the proposed range of 20-30 local boards but acknowledge that the Local Government Commission needs to undertake the work on communities of interest to help determine the number. The Local Government Commission, when determining the number, needs to consider both the need for good local representation and the need for the boards to play an effective role
    • membership of the local boards to range from four to nine.
    Role of the mayor
    • the mayor will promote a vision for Auckland
    • the mayor will appoint the deputy mayor
    • the mayor will appoint the chairperson of each key strategic committee
    • the mayor will develop the high level direction for the draft long-term council community plan and draft annual plan for consideration by the Auckland Council
    • an executive committee will be established with the mayor and chairs of each key strategic committee to address important issues with central government, promote the vision for Auckland and assist in the development of the mayor's high-level direction
    • the mayor will establish a mayoral office which may be larger than the status quo.
    Representation
    • support a maximum of 29 councillors with a minimum of eight at large councillors, and a maximum of 21 elected by wards, with the number and proportion to be determined by the Local Government Commission
    • support the government's decision not to provide Maori seats
    • support the Auckland Council providing an appropriate mechanism to engage meaningfully with Maori
      • ward boundaries to be flexible to follow population changes but the local boards may have relatively fixed boundaries to follow communities of interest
    • Watercare's dams, the areas upstream from the dams, and any areas containing Watercare's pipelines relating to the dams be retained within the Auckland boundary.
    Water and wastewater integration
    • vertical and horizontal integration of the water and wastewater industry is supported
    • integration led by Watercare is supported.
    1. That a working party of the Regional Governance Committee comprising of the Chairperson, Cr Armstrong and Cr Northey be delegated authority to finalise the wording of the submission.
    2. That His Worship the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and the chief executive be delegated to represent council at the hearings of the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee.

    CARRIED

    There being no further business the Chairperson declared the meeting closed at 4:05 pm.
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