Hide Rodney: Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Amendment Bill Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Bill — Third Readings 
Hide Rodney: Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Amendment Bill Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Bill — Third Readings 
[Volume:663;Page:11619] 
Hon RODNEY HIDE (Minister of Local Government) 
: 
 I move  
That the Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Amendment Bill the Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill and the Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Bill be now read a third time 
. These three bills are the result of the division of the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill in the Committee of the whole House. Their purpose is to complete the legislative framework that will deliver one council one mayor and one vision for Auckland by 1 November 2010. 
I do not need to remind the House that the Auckland region’s governance arrangements have been a cause of concern for the best part of a century. Michael Joseph Savage recognised the problem back in 1919 and called for a unification of the region’s disparate and ineffective councils. The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance agreed and found that Auckland’s eight councils lacked the collective sense of purpose constitutional ability and momentum to address issues effectively for the overall good of Auckland. Aucklanders have had too many missed opportunities and important decisions affecting the lives and the well-being of our largest population base have been delayed or not made at all. Services are poor and cost more than is necessary. Councils across Auckland cannot agree on or apply consistent standards and plans. 
But this will be no more. Today is the day that Auckland ratepayers at long last get to win. The new Auckland Council will be more effective more accountable and will provide world-class service to its residents. Why? The new Auckland Council will have a single vision under a single leader who will make decisions regionally plan strategically and act decisively in Auckland’s interests. I ask members to imagine one vision for the waterfront one vision for the motorway system one long-term council community plan one spatial plan one district plan one rating system one rates bill one council one mayor—one Auckland. 
On 1 November day one Auckland’s potential will begin to be realised. Working with the Auckland Council’s mayor will be 20 councillors elected across Auckland’s 13 new wards which will guarantee a spread of councillors from across the region. There will also be 21 local boards making decisions on local issues activities and facilities and working as part of a structure that will be unique in New Zealand to ensure that community interests are properly represented. Local boards will have their own decision-making responsibility for local matters while the council will take responsibility for the wider picture on regional matters and addresses the need for grassroots decision-making and accountability. There will be no more endless disagreements about the location and funding of regional amenities and the provision of necessary infrastructure. Auckland’s traffic woes will now be dealt with by a single body. There will be no more costly duplication of functions across eight rating authorities seven district plans and a multitude of different by-laws. 
A full third of the submissions to the royal commission expressed real anger despair and frustration over the regulatory red tape and the cost of complying with different district and rural plans across the region—it was a process that was blocking development. The focus will be on lowering fees and costs and simplifying the paperwork under a single district plan. I can confidently say that ratepayers can now expect efficiency gains in the years ahead from integrated long-term planning and decision-making. The intent is to make Auckland the most exciting vibrant metropolitan centre in Australasia. Auckland can become No. 1 in the Mercer world cities rankings. 
But what people also care about is the cost. The Auckland Council’s cost will not only be lower but also it will have better customer service. There are a bewildering number of fee categories across the region. I take dogs as an example. There are 60 categories in Auckland for registering impounding and adopting dogs. There will now be half that number with charges dropped to the lowest levels. Building inspections which are currently charged at an hourly rate varying from $110 to $178 will drop to $110 across the region. That is real money being saved. What about resource consent forms? I ask members to imagine this: there are over 850 forms used by councils at present and that will be reduced to just 120 simplified forms. This will improve consistency across the region and the consent application fee will be the same wherever one lives. 
There will also be a single building control authority delivering standardised control policy and acceptance criteria which again will produce a consistent review and application process. There will be full service centres operational on day one in central Auckland Takapuna Henderson and Manukau and they will be supplemented by local service centres at Orewa Waiheke Island Papakura and Pukekohe. There will also be neighbourhood service centres at Warkworth Huapai Helensville Great Barrier Island and Waiuku with more to follow. 
Starting numbers will fall and a fat and flabby upper management structure will be streamlined thereby creating a smaller and tighter top management team to drive the necessary improvement and consistency across the region. Front-line staff members however will not be reduced. Fears about the powers of the council-controlled organisations or CCOs have been removed. Council-controlled organisations in Auckland will now be the most accountable of any council in the country. They will have boards appointed by the Auckland Council which may also dismiss the directors. The Auckland Council determines the policy and appoints a board to ensure that its wishes are carried out. If those wishes are not carried out it can sack the lot. Furthermore there is no impediment to the Auckland Council disestablishing any of the council-controlled organisations except for Auckland Transport which is the only statutory entity. All council-controlled organisations will now be required to have two board meetings open to the public. The public can participate in these board meetings and speak directly to board members. I thank George Hawkins for his amendment in respect of those provisions. Those meetings will concern the council-controlled organisation’s statement of intent and whether it has achieved its goals during the preceding financial year. The council can increase that number if it so desires but there will always be that two-meeting minimum guarantee. 
We know that the people of Auckland want their rates to be kept low. We know that they fear having a lack of local community involvement in local democracy. We know that they are looking for an improved transport system and they will get it on 1 November. Aucklanders can now go to the polls in October to elect their mayor their councillors and their local board members without any central government interference. They can do so confident in the knowledge that the new Auckland Council will have the tools to take the vision forward. It will be a united prosperous and dynamic region of which all New Zealanders can be proud. 
I thank all of those who have helped to make this possible but there is someone special to thank and that is Mr Mark Ford who has led the transition in Auckland in the Auckland Transition Agency. I believe that all Aucklanders now and in future owe that man a huge debt for the job and the work that he has done. I think that we are very very lucky to have a man of his calibre and ability heading the transition team. I am pleased to say that he is in the House for this important day for the passage of the third readings of this legislation. I commend this legislation to the House.