Kaye Nikki: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — Second Reading Procedure In Committee 
Kaye Nikki: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — Second Reading Procedure In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6355] 
NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) 
: 
 Auckland is an incredibly gifted city with a third of New Zealand’s population and a unique and diverse people and geography. Auckland has the stunning Hauraki Gulf many bayside beaches and New Zealand’s largest business district. How we better engage with people who are younger and of different ethnicities will be very important in the future. The reform of Auckland’s local government will help us put a structure in place that will help deliver this engagement. 
Despite Auckland’s gift in nature there has been concern about the governance arrangements in Auckland for the last 50 years. In the past there have been attempts to fix this such as the establishment of the Auckland Regional Authority in 1963 and the amalgamation and the establishment of the Auckland Regional Council in the 1980s. However none of these initiatives managed to provide solutions to the fragmentation and incoherence in Auckland local government. We may be the fifth best city in the world but we are ranked 43rd in terms of infrastructure. As the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance said the governance arrangements in Auckland have led to competing leadership duplication of facilities complex and fragmented decision-making processes and weak accountability. The royal commission heard about the endlessly increasing rates suffocating red tape transport bottlenecks delayed development and lost opportunities. The Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill will give Auckland the mayor councillors and local boards the power and structure to fix these problems. 
To members of the House who say we should wait consult and do endless referendums I say that there has been an 18-month process with over 3500 submissions to the royal commission followed by 2500 submissions from Aucklanders to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee. Aucklanders have had the opportunity to have their say for over 2 years. At what point does one say that we have had enough consultation and should get on with it? That is the feeling that I am getting from Auckland’s local government staff who are waiting for job certainty. That is the feeling that I am getting from some local body politicians who are already out there campaigning. That is the feeling I am getting from the people of Auckland who want the world-class city that they hear so much about but that they have never had. 
The royal commission agreed with the Government about moving quickly when it challenged the Government to make changes in time for elections little over a year from now. We will achieve those changes. This bill is the beginning of a process that will lead to better connections across the region better value from rates and central government funding better community control of what matters in Auckland’s neighbourhoods and better decision-making on the key issues affecting Auckland’s and New Zealand’s future. 
We have been focused on two simple goals: delivering effective regional governance on regional matters and delivering strong local representation. As a result of the submissions there have been significant changes to the legislation. Some of the most significant changes have been in the area of local boards to ensure strong local representation. We have significantly beefed up the powers of local boards ensuring that they have the power to really represent their communities. The mentality of the past of patch protection is one of the reasons that local government is being improved. Under this bill local boards will get real authority to deliver to their communities. We propose 20 to 30 local boards because we believe in grassroots democracy. This structure will better enhance and protect the community voice. The local boards will be small enough to account for the future population growth of Auckland. Local boards will develop local board plans to reflect the priorities and preferences of their communities for council services and facilities. The local boards will be able to use these plans to establish agreements with the governing bodies. 
Many submitters came to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee and made the point that with greater functions and powers there needs to be adequate funding for local boards to deliver for their communities. The select committee has listened. As a result the boards will have funding and control of their budgets that will enable them to function appropriately and effectively for their communities. The local boards will have responsibilities for making decisions on local issues and will be able to reflect the particular character and preferences of their communities. I am pleased that the communities of Waiheke and Great Barrier Island have been guaranteed local boards as islands in the Hauraki Gulf are surrounded by water and are clearly communities of interest. 
Inevitably the boundary decisions will be some of the most contentious as we heard during the select committee process. There were more representations from the people of Rodney and the Government listened to those representations and responded. Now in response to the wishes of the residents of Rodney the entire area of Rodney will fall within the Auckland Council. 
Finally the Auckland Council will be able to provide leadership and deliver core services across the region efficiently and effectively. The mayor and councillors will make decisions on Auckland-wide matters including resource management building code requirements public health and civil defence arrangements. We are delivering for Auckland on what they have missed out on for the last 50 years. A strong regional entity will help deliver the transport system that Aucklanders want. It will help deliver better regional environmental arts and disability strategies across the region. 
I acknowledge the many Aucklanders who submitted as part of this process and the officials who supported our select committee. I am proud to be part of the Government making a historic change for Auckland. This is the beginning of a new era in Auckland—one strong city with many diverse villages.