Hutchison Paul: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
Hutchison Paul: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:657;Page:6568] 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Hunua) 
: 
 Thank you for the opportunity to speak once again on this very important Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: Something new! Something new Paul! 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: I want to take a further call on the powers and functions of the Local Government Commission because as we go forward and this very important bill is expeditiously enacted by the wonderful National-ACT coalition the Local Government Commission will become more and more important. I think it is really important to realise that the Local Government Commission is a quasi-judicial body and its decisions can be challenged only on points of law. 
 One of its major things is to ensure that it does everything practical to keep communities of interests together. As I said last night the bill’s commentary makes it very clear that the bill will empower the commission to undertake consultation before determining the city’s boundaries but it does not specify a process or require any particular person to be consulted. In the commentary members of the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee urged the commission to carry out a comprehensive consultation process with Aucklanders before setting the city and the local board boundaries. Dr Prasad says I should say something new. Well this is hugely important for every Aucklander for every board for every ward and maybe even Dr Prasad might take some interest in this very very crucial decision-making. 
The reality is that when it came to the southern boundary catchment issues Treaty issues and development issues have probably overridden communities of interest. So the duties of the Local Government Commission are going to be incredibly important. I go back to those small communities south of Pukekohe to Buckland which is 200 to 300 metres away and Tuakau which is connected by a sewerage system to Pukekohe but has had community of interest involvement for over 100 years. It may be that the Local Government Commission can use its extended powers—its flexibility—to include those areas if those areas want that to happen. It may be that it is outside normal interpretation but I think it very important that Parliament is aware that the Local Government Commission is charged with the responsibility of doing everything practicable to keep communities of interest together. Exactly how far they can go outside the existing boundaries is not well defined although indeed they have the flexibility to do so. 
When we come to Part 3 “Transitional arrangements” we learn that the Local Government Commission must determine the boundaries no later than 1 March. I understand an interim report will occur in November and there will be the opportunity to make submissions. I say that it is absolutely vital that the Local Government Commission is adventurous innovative flexible and courageous in deciding on communities of interest and that it does the very best it possibly can for the whole of Auckland particularly for Franklin. I challenge the whole of this Committee to support the Local Government Commission in doing this very important work. I challenge the whole of this Chamber to ensure that it can be courageous that it can be flexible and that it is given the appropriate resources to ensure that that happens. It is somewhat ironic that it was none other than the Hon George Hawkins who put in a finely crafted amendment—