Blue Jackie: General Debate 
Blue Jackie: General Debate 
[Volume:653;Page:2553] 
Dr JACKIE BLUE (National) 
: 
 I also acknowledge the valedictory speech made by the Rt Hon Helen Clark and wish her well for the future. I am sure she will do New Zealand proud. 
I am delighted to have the opportunity to take a call tonight. My congratulations go to the National Government for its quick response and its common-sense analysis of the royal commission’s report on Auckland governance. The royal commission spent 20 months consulting talking to groups and considering numerous submissions. It is very clear that for far too long Auckland has struggled under multiple bureaucratic layers. The commission’s report although comprehensive unfortunately blurred some of the lines of authority and did not really address the local community’s need for representation and a strong voice. The Government has corrected these oversights in the report that has been tabled. The Government has digested the royal commission’s report and has moved quickly and decisively. 
The Government has retained the one unitary authority called the Auckland Council. This authority will be able to provide leadership and effectively deliver core services such as transport water and waste. The Auckland Council will have the responsibility of managing all the $28 billion of community assets and for planning and managing the region’s infrastructure. For far too long the Auckland region has suffered from inaction. Ninety-six territorial local authorities is 95 too many. Competing interests and infighting have resulted in a region that has stagnated. The Government’s decision—to have one council 20 to 30 community boards with 125 to 150 members one regional mayor with governance powers 20 councillors one long-term council community plan one district plan one waterfront agency one rates bill one rating system and so on—will provide the basis for Auckland to move ahead. 
For far too long the community has not had a voice. Rejecting the royal commission’s plan to have a local community council as the second tier and instead having 20 to 30 community boards with much more say over their communities will at last give communities the voice they have long sought. The changes the Government proposes will give Auckland communities the voice that they need and that has been stripped away in the past. 
 The Government is determined that communities will have their say. 
The community of Mt Roskill where I am a list MP has been demanding a greater say in how it functions. People have had a growing concern over the effect that alcohol has and they have wanted a say. That was clearly evident last year when the Mount Roskill South community came together to oppose the imminent opening of a liquor outlet only 100 metres away from two schools a kindergarten and a church. If the proposal had been successful there would have been 10 liquor outlets in the Mount Roskill South area. The community was very concerned about the growing issue of youth crime and alcohol. There was concern that alcohol would fuel that trend and that if there were more liquor outlets there would be a downward spiral. The community was concerned that the current legislation had no teeth and it was particularly concerned that the community had no say over where liquor outlets should be. So people came together and I was heartened by that—I was really heartened by that. They met on two occasions last year and proposed activities and they were going to go all the way back to the council to oppose the outlet. Fortunately common sense prevailed: the outlet did not open up and the community had a win. It was a victory for the community. 
It is really pleasing that under the new governance structure communities in Auckland will finally have a voice. They will have a voice about where alcohol outlets can be placed where they want their local parks how they want their libraries to function and what their concerns are over graffiti. They have not had a voice for many many years and this governance structure will bring back that voice. Most important the local community boards under the new governance structure will be permanent. The permanent functions are yet to be decided but they will be permanent; they will not be there at the whim and at the beck and call of local councils as is the case currently. 
The new governance structure is all about democracy and it is all about good governance. In 2010 Aucklanders will vote in the most important local body elections ever held in New Zealand. There will be one city one council and one mayor. People can vote for a mayor with real power to make a difference. They can vote for councillors to be accountable for all of Auckland.